Big Empty Houses
by McGinnis INC
Summary: "You saw something you can't explain. It was something your mind has never encountered before, so you're trying to rationalize it. And let's be honest, right now, you're failing." Full Summary Inside. Derek/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Well, this happened. Always kinda wanted to throw something like this together – since, like the first season. And then with the second season being as interesting as it has been, I was finally inspired enough to whip this up. So, its' happening. Woot woot.**

**Side note: The Teen Wolf time line is super screwed up – like, plot holes and inconsistencies galore. And it confuses me so terribly. So please, if you find something I missed – feel free to shoot me a note and set me straight.**

_**Will be updated every Saturday and Tuesday.**_

**Full summary: "You saw something you can't explain. It was something your mind has never encountered before, so you're trying to rationalize it. And let's be honest, right now, you're failing." When Paige Flanagan is uprooted from her home in Chicago, she decides to bide her time until she can return to the city. But a series of occurrences leave her world upside down and her future goals totally skewed. And what is up with this Derek dude?**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_And there's fantasy, there's fallacy, there's tumbling stone._  
_Echoes of a city that's long overgrown._  
_Your heart is the only place that I call home,_  
_I cannot be returned. _

* * *

The high school hallway was overcrowded – each person running to and from somewhere. It was so easy to get lost here. So easy to slip away.

There's something to be said about starting over. The initial shift in environment, mentality, whatever – is always so surreal and unnerving that often the effect isn't noticed until long after that shift has taken place. It's an after thought. A mild blip on the life scale, telling you that your life has changed for the better, for the worse, changed without any hope of returning to its original state. But by the time you realize your life has been restarted, by the time you've taken note of the change – you reality is already engrained. So, you move on.

So, Paige moved on. Step one of moving on: getting to class. She let her locker open gingerly with only a mild click and tug and hugged her books closer to herself as she peered in.

What a strange place to have that kind of thought process, she decided as she scanned her row of textbooks and notepads all placed neatly in their proper order. Surely the realization that her life was forever changed should have hit her when her parents announced that her father had received a promotion and they would be moving to California. Or maybe when they were flying from Chicago to their new home in Beacon Hills. Or maybe when they first moved in. Or maybe on her first day of school. But no, that stunning realization that she would be finishing up her high school career at Beacon Hills High School hadn't occurred to her until a month had passed.

Her cheek began to itch and since her hands were full she scratched it on her shoulder. The boy at the locker next to hers threw her a weird look before he slammed his locker shut and left.

_You're such a weirdo,_ she chided herself.

Suddenly self-conscious, she quickly swapped out the books she already had used in favor of next period's textbooks. And then she was on her way.

_Jesus,_ she continued to scold herself. _No wonder you have no friends. _

That wasn't entirely true, if she was willing to think rationally. It wasn't like she was a total outcast… She had left behind a few friends in Chicago. But she wasn't in Chicago anymore… and she had never been much of a people-person to begin with, so replacing those friends was difficult. Probably impossible. But she had come to some conclusions – it was only one year. Eight months, if she was going to be exact. Eight months and she would graduate and move back to the Midwest for college and then law school and then work. California and all it's hellishness would be behind her.

Paige just had to keep her head down.

Which… was easier said than done, considering who her little brother had befriended within the first week of being here. Wyatt had always been a nice enough kind of guy – a super sweet kid. So why he would have taken up with that asshole Jackson Whittemore was beyond Paige's mental abilities. If she had to bet though… it was probably something to do with her brother's prowess on the lacrosse field. Either way, Paige wasn't sure she liked the influence that rich snob had over her sweet little brother.

And… yup. _Speak of the devil,_ she realized. Her internal clock must have been a few beats off because the halls were a little less crowded than normal and she had never encountered Jackson during this passing period.

He had begun this tradition of trying to flirt with her whenever he saw her. The first time he had done it, Paige had believed it was for real and had been a stuttering mess caught up in the fact that an attractive man was paying her attention and the fact that said attractive man had a girlfriend and oh my god, someone needed to tell the poor girl her boyfriend secretly thought Paige was pretty. Her brother had taken pity on her and revealed it was a little game Jackson had decided to play on her once he realized how shy she was. And even though she knew it wasn't real, it didn't stop her from blushing whenever he put the moves on.

There was a burst of relief when she realized he was engaged in a very intimate-looking conversation with some random stranger that Paige didn't recognize. Not that that was very usual… Paige didn't know the names of 90 percent of the students she passed in the hallway daily. Partially because she hadn't bothered. Partially because they hadn't bothered.

This stranger, though, was truly _strange_. In a leather jacket that strained across broad shoulders… he didn't look like any high school student Paige had ever encountered. Just the way he stood… it was intimidating. Predatory. Just, generally, scary.

If it had been her brother conversing with this intimidating fellow, maybe Paige would have stopped to at least make sure they eventually went their separate directions, safely and without event. But this was Jackson. And she was even kind of scared of Jackson, too. So…

Paige just hugged her books closer and picked up her pace. She was already running late anyway so who could fault her?

Five, six, seven, she counted each tile as she kept her head down and tried to appear as small as possible. Eight, nine, - _ding._ And a grunt.

Whipping around, Paige had just enough time to see the stranger with his hand gripping Jackson's neck – the younger man forced up against the lockers.

"Hey!" The word was little more than a squeak and entirely unintentional, but the stranger still glanced up. Crystal blue eyes met her own nondescript grey ones and he released Jackson.

And then, he approached her.

With long, deliberate footfalls, he made his way towards her. Almost on instinct, she shuffled back and pressed herself against a locker. Her arms were still weighed down with books but she lifted them higher – high enough to maybe protect her face, if it came to that. Her eyes squeezed shut and she hoped that maybe, if something did happen, Jackson would protect her. It was a long shot, he only thought about her as the geeky older sister of his new friend, but maybe some ounce of chivalry would break through.

And suddenly, the footfalls slowed down. Paige gingerly opened her eyes to find the strange man walking clean past her, a bewildered expression on his face as his eyes traced her own terrified expression. Then he rolled his eyes and continued at a brisker pace.

Paige watched him turn the corner before her arm muscles loosened and her breathing returned to normal.

"Hey, hot stuff," Jackson spoke up. He seemed to have calmed down pretty quick, the asshole. "You might wanna get to class." He gave her a cocky wink as he passed.

Sliding into her seat in the back row of her oral expressions class, Paige allowed herself a few moments to take some deep breaths. Then, she returned to scolding herself. What was I thinking? Jesus! Of all the things to do… You're no supposed to get in between two guys when they're fighting. _Oh my God, I could have died. Jesus, I have to learn to keep my mouth shut. Shut it nice and tight and then I can get the hell out of here._

The teacher announced a pop quiz and almost instantly Paige lost herself in what she knew best: her studies.

Eight more months to go.

* * *

Later that day, Paige went searching for her brother just as the bell rung. As per usual, Wyatt was at Jackson's locker discussing god-only-knew-what. For a moment, she hesitated. Did she dare disturb their conversation? That was rude, right?

Jackson made the first move. "Hey," he said as he nudged Wyatt, "It's your cute sister."

Unbidden, the blush slinked across her face but Wyatt was quick to rescue her. "You don't need to pick me up," he told her. "I'm catching a ride with some of the guys after lacrosse practice."

Nodding, Paige left without giving either boy a second glance.

One day she'd learn to speak up and give Jackson a piece of her mind.

She'd only just grabbed her largest textbook from the tallest shelf in her locker when something hard slammed into her shoulder. For a moment, the shock in her shoulder was her sole focus until the textbook smashed into the toes. "Ah!" she let out, jumping back. The pain blazed up her leg and rattled in her kneecap. Twisting around, she propped herself up against her locker and yanked her leg up to cradle the injury.

Through pain-clouded eyes, she watched the boy who'd bumped into her glance back, shrug and mouth, "Oops!"

There was no apology. There was no remorse. So, she swallowed her pain-induced tears and finished clearing her locker. That was that. Paige was a stranger to him. And it wasn't like she was going to speak up and demand an apology. She shouldn't have expected much. Some people… they just had a sense. They could pick out, just by looking at a person, whether that person would speak up or not. Paige was pretty sure she had heard that somewhere… but it might have been in the context of rapists being able to weed out the perfect victim. Either way, she had learned long ago to just shrug it off and accept that this was who she was and always will be.

Back at her old school, she'd been considered sweet and kind and mild mannered and studious and maybe, even, a little popular. Her father had gotten her into this private school for gifted children when she was very small so, in most of her honors classes in high school, her fellow students were kids she had known since kindergarten.

Here, she was just… Paige Flanagan. Nothing special. Super shy. Terribly quiet. Doormat.

"What a pussy," came a voice off to Paige's right.

Terrified that someone had read her thoughts and was berating her, she glanced up. But no, it was just her locker buddy who was convinced she was a weirdo and her locker buddy's best bud. She quickly turned her attention back to her own locker, in case they thought she was rude for eavesdropping.

"I told her it was perfectly safe," he continued to explain. "But she was so scared of some mountain lion eating us that she refused to go into the woods with me."

"I think she just didn't wanna blow you," his friend shot back.

That was the last bit she heard, as she shouldered her backpack and scuttled from her Hell on Earth.

Driving home, she contemplated what her locker buddy had been discussing. That was one thing her parents hadn't mentioned before they had moved: the wildlife. It seemed there was an abundance of crazed animals out and about the town and nowhere was safe. Too many people had popped up dead from animal-inflicted wounds for Paige to disregard the rumors, but still… she was infinitely more terrified of Beacon Hills' human population to give much thought to their animal population.

Her house was empty.

It was always empty.

In Chicago she would study at a friend's house rather than face how empty her house had been. Her mother was a teacher at the local junior high and volunteered even after school hours. Her brother had lacrosse practice, or friends of his own. Her father worked. All the time. In fact, he worked so much and so hard, he had earned that nice big promotion that had forced them to relocate. He had worked so much and so hard that they had been able to afford a bigger home. But for Paige, a bigger home just meant a home that was emptier than their original one.

There were ways of killing the loneliness, of course, but sometimes they got repetitive. Facebook had always been Paige's normal time-killer. But it hurt too much to see her friends happy without her, doing things without her.

So, she did her homework, but only killed about an hour. So she did the dishes. Then she did her laundry. Then she cooked dinner for herself and her brother. Then she put her brother's serving in the fridge. Then she went for a run.

There was definitely a difference between her level of athleticism and her brother's. She had tried to do track and cross-country but it seemed that she lacked the competitive edge that made the running worthwhile and gave the runner the added boost to win. So, Paige didn't run for sport. She ran to clear her head.

And today, she ran to kill an empty house, a workaholic father, and eight months worth of time.

* * *

"Honey…" came a voice. "Hey, honey."

Paige glanced up from her book to find her mother sticking her head around the corner. "Um… yes?" she inquired.

"Want to do me a huge favor?"

"That depends on the favor…"

"Well, I'll give you a hint: I'm not asking for a kidney."

"I'd be worried if you were asking for a kidney."

"I know you would be."

"So… what's the favor?"

"I have papers to grade."

"Yes…"

"And Wyatt's doing his homework."

"Yes…"

"And your dad's at work."

"And the favor is…?"

Without hesitation, her mom completely pulled herself from around the corner and shoved a DVD case into Paige's hands. "This is due today," she explained. "Would you mind returning it?"

Paige glanced down at the title, "Inglorious Basterds". Wyatt had rented this. By family tradition, he should be the one returning it – it wasn't like he didn't have his license and Paige knew that he had spent some time after the lacrosse practice at Jackson's house. But it wasn't like she had anything else to do – right? With a reluctant nod, she yanked on her hoodie, stuffed her pockets with her phone, her keys, and her wallet and then set out.

Back home, every street was as familiar as the back of her hand and hot damn – driving in the city was one of the most challenging places to drive. Paige was very comfortable behind a car and hadn't had much experience with accidents.

So, her nerves were pretty shot when she had only just turned onto the street the video rental place was on and her car gave a huge _pop-crackle-bang._

Hitting the break instinctively, Paige hoped beyond all hope that she hadn't done anything too stupid. That would be just her luck – hitting some wild creature, hitting a person, breaking the car beyond repair. Her thoughts were wholeheartedly self-deprecating as she hopped out of her car and dodged around to vehicle. Was there anything under her tires? Was there any dents? Was – oh, she had popped a tire. Okay, she could work with that.

Taking a brief moment to collect her thoughts, she checked her pockets for her phone. Okay, okay, okay – she had her phone. Perfect. There was another car back home. Someone could come get her and then they could get this car towed. That would work just fine.

The sign for the video rental store flickered in the distance. Paige hadn't realized it was so close. Glancing down at the DVD in her hands, she decided to just return the darn thing and then call her house. Stuffing her phone back into her pocket, she shuffled off towards the video store. The night was dark and the block was empty, but Paige wasn't too worried. Dark streets in the city were worse than dark streets in the country. Except for maybe the crazed wild animals that apparently were an issue here.

Halfway down the block her phone buzzed in her pocket.

_How's hell?_ read the text message.

With a small smile – the kind that only Liza could invoke – Paige responded, _Dark and spooky._

She had barely hit the send button when – _clunk_.

Her feet stopped moving on their own and then her breath caught in the back of her throat. Breaking glass was never a good sign – even more so in the city, but she knew it wasn't something good here either. Still a little light-blinded from her phone's bright screen, she tried so hard to focus on…

The _creature_ that had burst from the window of the video rental store.

And then, she went crazy.

* * *

Hours later, she just wanted to go home.

"And that's all you saw?"

That was the fifth time someone had asked her that question. It wasn't like her answer was going to miraculously change the fifth time around. That was all she had seen. Simple pimple.

"Do you remember anything else?"

Paige had lost count of how many times _that_ question had been asked. It was like, the best way to prompt people who had been traumatized, apparently. She'd say some small detail she remembered and they'd nod and write stuff down and then nod some more and then finally it wasn't good enough and they needed more – they needed her to remember more. And there was only so much to remember.

For a brief moment she allowed herself to be a little child and buried her face into her mother's shoulder.

The cops had been called, her father heard what had happened, her mother had begun to worry when she was late coming home and they both had arrived at the scene near about the same time to see the flashing lights.

Her mom tightened her grip around Paige's shoulder and shot back, "I think we're done with the questioning for tonight."

When the police officer opened his mouth to protest, her father swept in, crisp grey suit and all and repeated, "We're done here."

The cop shut his mouth with a click, looked between each Flanagan and then nodded and left.

Paige's dad watched him go with heavy lidded eyes and then ran a large hand through his hair. "I need to get back to the office," he said. "This will be a mountain of paperwork."

On instinct, the words slipped out. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Honey," her dad reached over and cradled the back of her head with his hand. "This is not your fault." He pressed a quick kiss to her hairline, gave his wife a nod and then disappeared as only her father could.

"I think someone needs some hot chocolate," her mother suggested, nudging her a bit.

She shook her head. "I just want to go to bed."

"Then, to bed I will take you," her mother promised.

Over her mom's shoulder, Paige glanced at the scene. A man had died in that building. A man was dead inside that building – well, the body had been moved. Paige had watched them wheel it out. Would his ghost haunt the place? Did Paige even believe in ghosts? Probably… Yeah, she believed in ghosts and giant dogs. Jackson caught her gaze from across the parking lot. Of all the people to run into… maybe if the dude had never died she would have bumped into the little asshole and he would have flirted with her a bunch and she would have blushed and stuttered and been so distracted that she didn't notice the giant dog (mountain lion, she corrected herself) before it was too late.

Had he seen? Did he remember anything else?

Had he gone crazy, too?

* * *

_But in order to get to the heart,_  
_I think sometimes you'll have to cut through_  
_But you can't..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: And so, we begin a regular updating schedule! Yesterday was special because, well, it was the first chapter and it was a Monday and there was a new episode. From now on, it will follow the Tuesday and Saturday schedule.**

**Also, be forewarned, this story follows the plot line of Teen Wolf very closely and so if you aren't up to date with all the episodes, there will be spoilers. I apologize in advance.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_I'm not calling you a liar,_

_Just don't lie to me._

_I'm not calling you a thief,_

_Just don't steal from me,_

_I'm not calling you a ghost,_

_Just stop haunting me,_

* * *

If an empty house at the end of the school day was unbearable, an empty house in the morning was even worse. An empty house come lunch time was mighty terrible and Paige was suddenly regretting letting her mother talk her into staying home.

"I want you to take it easy tomorrow," her mother had said sternly, once they had returned home the night before.

"Take it easy," had apparently meant "stay home and watch TV". Paige didn't like TV. And she had thought that her mom would call in sick too and they could hang out together. No such luck. At least Wyatt was going to bring her back her homework.

"I should have gone to school," she decided, closing her book and trying to figure out what they had in the fridge for lunch. Cringing at how stiff her legs were, she took a moment to knee her calf muscles and then decided on some mac and cheese.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the living room, her plate full of delicious cheesy goodness.

Now, you see, Paige was of the belief that after a few close calls, some people just become immune to being startled. It was like… being desensitized to fear. And in light of the terrifying kind of night she had had yesterday, she would have said she was damn sure that she was incapable of being startled.

She was proved wrong as her plate slid from her hands and shattered on floor.

"Who are you?" she screamed. Jumping back, she tried to put the couch between her and the shadow-covered intruder.

There was a stranger in her house. There was a strange man in her house and she was all alone and did her father own a gun? Surely her father owned a gun! Where was it? Could she get to it? No, there was probably no gun. Time to re-strategize. Why was he here? He was wearing all black – a black leather jacket, black-wash jeans – obviously he was here to steal. And that was the problem with owning a bigger home – more burglars. Fine. She'd deal with it.

"Take whatever you want," she suggested, taking another step back.

"I'm not here for that," the strange man spoke up and took a step forward. The change of position did nothing to get rid of the shadows that obscured his face.

"W-what _are _you here for, then?" she whispered, as her back hit the wall.

People don't break into other people's houses for no reason. And the two main reasons are usually to take something… or to _do_ something. Paige didn't want to know what he might have had in mind, breaking in here. Because really, she was a young woman, she was alone and she couldn't fight back to quite literally save her life. An easy target. That's what she was.

Without letting the intruder answer, she shot him another question – one that was more forceful. "Do you know who I am?"

This time the step he took brought him into the light. Everything about him was sinister – jet black, spiked hair, rugged scruff, and eerie blue eyes. This man was a predator. And as he opened his mouth to respond, his sharp canines flashed in the sunlight. "According to the police report you are Gretchen Flanagan," he answered.

Police report? She'd never been in trouble her entire life. Her first time even talking to a cop had been last night – well, she'd sat next to the chief of police once at a dinner party.

"So, then, you know who my father is," she concluded.

"I don't care who your father is," he shot back and took another step.

"You should."

That stopped him for a moment as he searched her face. She didn't know where she had gotten the courage to snap back like that, but she figured it had something to do with her father's status and position. That was always her safety net – no one could touch her because of her dad. So, he knew who she was but he didn't know who her father was and now he was probably wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into.

_Good, let him wonder_, she coached herself. _Keep him talking. The more he talks, he less time he'll have to do other things. Bad things. Keep talking._

"What did you see last night?" he asked suddenly.

Last night? She had damn near repressed last night.

"Are you a reporter?" she asked instead. That was the first thing she could think of. And if he was a reporter and had broken into her house just to interview her, she could guarantee that her father would have the man instantly fired.

_Keep him talking,_ she repeated to herself.

His eyes grew a shade darker. "You ask a lot of obnoxious questions," he said. Even his voice had darkened. She flinched back in response. "What did you see?" he repeated.

"You broke into my house because you wanted to know what I saw last night?" she asked. The pieces were slowly coming together.

"Yes," was his curt response.

"And only that? That's the only reason you're here? That's all you want?"

A low growl sprung from his throat and dissolved into the word, "Yes."

Despite the growl, despite his sinister appearance, she suddenly felt a whole hell of a lot better. Safer. He wasn't here to rape her. He wanted to know what she had seen. Okay, she could deal with that.

"You read the report," she offered, pushing herself off the wall a bit. "It was a mountain lion," she repeated reflexively.

_A mountain lion. Just a mountain lion._

His bushy eyebrows came together as he said, "We both know you didn't see a mountain lion."

For a moment her breath stopped. Then she gulped out, "It was big. It had fur. It had to have been a mountain lion." She tried to tack on a careless little shrug, but it came off looking more like a nervous tick.

Paige watched as his eyes followed that failed shrug and then sparkled a bit. Even his mouth relaxed just slightly. He was enjoying her nervousness, even a little bit. Vaguely, she was reminded of Jackson. Well, she had only just confirmed that he wasn't going to rape and kill her – she could let him enjoy her discomfort.

A humorless, ironic chuckle broke free from his mouth. "Have you ever _seen_ a mountain lion?" he asked.

"Yes," she snapped back.

The neighborhood watch had sent out flyers to each household when the animal attacks had first begun. Paige's mother had been very diligent about making sure everyone had read the flyer so that they would know how to avoid a mountain lion attack, or escape one should they encounter the animal. So yes, Paige was familiar with what a mountain lion looked like. Not up close though, but that hardly mattered.

What the hell was he getting at?

"It was dark," she explained. "I can't think of what else it could have possibly been."

"So…" he began, taking two long, slow steps forward. The glass of her shattered plate crunched underneath his feet. "All you saw was a big, furry creature?"

She didn't trust the way he was asking that. There was a catch – a hidden meaning underneath it and Paige felt like she was being left out of an inside joke. He knew something. What did he know? He couldn't know. He didn't see. How could he have seen?

"Yes," she breathed. Her heart was thumping in her chest.

His eyes narrowed. "You're lying," he accused. One step closer, and he was right in front of her. There was no exit. There was no escape.

Instinct forced her arm up, her hand outstretched, trying to push him away. He was too close. He was suffocating her. And then, her wrist was on fire as he grasped it and yanked her forward a bit.

All she could see were his blue irises as he said, "You saw something you can't explain." His voice was like honey, trying to slide down her throat and force her secrets from the secret chamber in her brain where she'd locked last night away. "It was something your mind has never encountered before, so you're trying to rationalize it. And let's be honest," he purred as he brought his nose only a few inches from her own. "Right now… you're failing."

Paige yanked her wrist from his grip and sidestepped him. The glass on the floor still posed a problem, so she dodged around the other side of the couch and once again the piece of furniture was between them.

"Who are you?" She vaguely remembered asking him that question the very first moment she saw him, but now she truly needed to know.

How had he known?

"That doesn't matter," he said simply.

"Why are you here?"

"That doesn't matter, either."

He was enjoying this again.

"What did you see last night?" he repeated.

The girl had reached her breaking point. She had gotten literally no sleep last night, tossing the events around in her head again and again and trying so, so, hard to rationalize them and give them a viable excuse. The scenes tormented her thoughts when her eyes were opened, and then seeped into her dreams when her eyes were shut and her brain was dreaming. Those eyes. Those glowing red eyes. For a girl who had always dreamt in black and white – suddenly everything was covered in a film of crimson.

And here was this man – this strange man in her living room, trying to pump her for information about something she didn't even want to begin to think about. Her world was on its axis and suddenly her brain just snapped.

"What do you want me to say?" she exclaimed. For such a shy girl, sometimes she had a very loud voice. "I saw a _mountain lion_. You read the report. I saw a mountain lion smash through the window of the video rental store and run down the street! And then I saw the the mountain lion get on two legs and turn into a human and get into the passenger side of a car, which then sped off." In her exasperation, her arms began to pinwheel. "So! That was my totally fucked up delusion!"

The man frowned, looking her up and down. For the first time since he'd shown up in her living room it seemed like he was honestly looking at her. It made her uncomfortable. She would rather he was smirking at her again, enjoying her discomfort.

"What did the human look like?" he asked.

Which was the last thing Paige had thought would come out of his mouth. She was almost certain her delusion would confuse him just as much as it had confused her.

"You… believe me?"

Why did that matter so much to her? This dude had broken into her house – why was she so relieved that this intruder believed her?

He rolled his eyes. "What did the human looked like?" he repeated, a bit sharper this time. But Paige didn't pay it as much mind this time. She wasn't quite as scared of this man as she used to be.

"Who are you?" she tried again.

The growl was back. "It doesn't matter. What did the –"

She cut him off. Somewhere she found the courage to interrupt him and instead insist, "Tell me who you are and I'll tell you what I haven't repressed." Paige was disappointed to realize that her courage had abandoned her at the very last second as she squeaked out the word "repressed". But she set her jaw stubbornly anyway. It was a trick she had learned from her father.

The man considered this briefly before allowing, "Derek Hale."

Part of her realized that that currently told her nothing. She had been hoping for an occupation or a reason for being here. But that wasn't what she had asked for and so that wasn't what she had gotten. She could look him up later, now that she knew she wasn't going to die. For some reason, she didn't imagine him having a facebook, though.

Giving him – Derek Hale – a small nod, she began, "There was a street lamp behind him –"

"And you're sure it was a man?"

"Yes."

"You're positive?"

"Positive. The shoulders were broad. Not very broad, but still too broad to belong to a woman. And there were no hips. Anyways, the street lamp washed out a lot of details, but he was average height, average weight. Naked… but I couldn't tell the skin color – the darkness made everything the wrong shade. But… his eyes… they were red. Definitely red, glowing – they cut right through the darkness…" She trailed off to find that Derek Hale was lost in thought.

When she realized that he wasn't going to ask any more questions, she sat down against the arm of the couch and sagged with all the stress. Who knew talking about crazy things made them seem less crazy and more just… frustrating?

"I said the word human," she spoke up. Derek snapped out of his thoughts to meet her gaze. "But – that's wrong. He isn't human, is he?"

"Did he seem human?"

"No."

"Then there's you answer," was his gruff response. "Do you remember anything else?"

Paige had thought she had heard the last of that goddamned question. "No, that's it," she said.

Without a word, he strode to the front door. She wondered briefly if that was how he had gotten in – how ridiculous would that have been?

"You were at my school," she spoke up. "You grabbed Jackson."

She didn't know when she had figured it out, but she just wanted him to know that she did in fact recognize him. Maybe he didn't recognize her, given that she was one face in a billion, but she knew who he was. Derek Hale.

Derek opened the door and turned back. "Forget I was ever there. And forget I was ever here."

"And forget that I saw a creature turn into a man?"

The look he gave her was sympathetic. "Yeah, that too."

* * *

Her growling stomach was the least of her concerns as she scoured the internet in a way she had only ever done when she had procrastinated a research paper. With a Diet Pepsi in one hand and the computer mouse in the other one, she focused first on finding out who exactly her mysterious visitor had been.

It was odd how she was suddenly thinking about him as a visitor and not an intruder. Those two words were very, very different and one should never confuse them.

"Derek Hale, Derek Hale, Derek Hale," she muttered.

Facebook was the flop she had thought it was going to be. Google… not so much. The first search result read, "Derek Hale arrested in the murder case of Laura Hale". Well, that wasn't doing much for the instance of his innocence… The article explained that this Laura Hale had been his sister and half her body had been found out in the woods. The other half had been discovered buried next to… the remains of the Hale house. He had been arrested for the murder, but eventually released because of a lack of evidence. There was also a link embedded in the article that brought her to another article about the Hale fire. He had apparently lost most of his family in a house fire… Shit. What had she gotten herself into?

She snapped the article closed and stared at her desktop background for a few more minutes.

There had been a potential murderer in her house asking her about a creature that turned into a man. Right. Maybe she was still dreaming? Maybe she should call the police? Maybe she should take a nap?

With renewed trepidation, she opened a new browser window and simply typed the phrase, "animals that turn into people."

The first result was a yahoo answers page with someone asking what the term was. Then there was a Wikipedia article on shape shifting – which she ignored. What kind of researcher would she be if she used Wikipedia? There was an online quiz to determine what kind of animal you'd turn in to. Nothing useful, essentially. So, she renewed her search with "shape shifting". This time, at least, there were some articles that she bothered to glance through. Nothing she'd ever use to site a paper, of course. On the third page (yes, she was so desperate she did in fact venture past the second page) she found an article on Twilight.

As a normal teenage girl, she had heard of the books. As an avid reader, she had read the books. The shape shifters in the series had been werewolves.

Werewolves.

But, Twilight was a fictional book.

But, Paige had literally witnessed a creature become a human. That was fictional in and of itself.

But, did she dare go that far into this theory?

Yes. Yes she did.

Her cousin had owned a husky-wolf mix for about six months before his mother decided it was too aggressive and needed to be put down. So Paige might not have seen a mountain lion up close, but she had a very good idea of what a wolf would look like up close. And if she had to claim the creature looked like anything, a wolf would be it's closest kin.

Just to torture herself, she pulled up google images and typed in, "werewolf". Then she immediately shut her eyes and tried to conjure up a mental image of the creature.

Her breath caught in her throat as she opened her eyes and saw what had haunted her dreams last night. None of them had red eyes, but they all had a build that was half human, half man, all strength and power and… a head of a wolf.

"Werewolf…" she tasted the word in her mouth. It was bitter. It was scary. It made her heart jump out of control and then stop.

She skipped lunch. Skipped dinner. Skipped doing homework.

"Honey, are you okay?" her mother was washing dishes and frowning at Paige.

For a moment she felt guilty – she should have thought to do the dishes. Why hadn't she done the dishes? Had the whole situation with Derek Hale rattled her that much?

"Yeah mom, I'm fine," she tried to shoot her mother a reassuring smile.

Her mother's frown only deepened but she didn't push it. Instead, she dried her hands and said, "Some of your father's colleagues are coming over for dinner in a few days. You should wear that blue dress, it makes your eyes look blue."

Paige nodded without really hearing and went to take a shower. Usually she got very nervous before a dinner party. Her mom liked to downplay the get-togethers and say "people coming over for dinner". The food would be catered, the booze would be expensive, and Paige would be forced into awkward conversation with old, boring men. But even the idea of hosting a party couldn't shake her – she was too rattled by the events of the last few days.

Werewolves.

Where was her proof? She didn't have any.

It might have made her feel better if she did have proof. A definite answer. No more research.

Fuck.

* * *

_There's a ghost in my lungs_

_And it sighs in my sleep,_

_Wraps itself around my tongue,_

_as it softly speaks_

_then it walks,_

_then it walks with my legs_

* * *

**Preview:**

**He frowned, "That was easy."**

**"What was?" she stood up, but made no move to approach him. He had been suspected in his sister's murder. She wasn't letting him get too close. And he still intimidated her, even if he believed her about the werewolf.**

**"Luring you out of the house," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: I know what you're thinking. "But Ginny, it's not Saturday…" And you would be right. It is Friday. But I'm bored and opted to post this chapter now. I've actually been feverishly writing and have twenty-five chapters done – but I've reached the most current episode. There's no more I can write without making this AU and I have no intention of doing that. So. I'm bored. So. I decided to post it. Haha, feel free to complain if you'd rather I post it tomorrow – but I figure most of you will be happy.**

**Also, I'm really excited about the pretty enthusiastic response people have had to this story. I really appreciate it, thank you.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father_

_Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers_

_Leave all your love and your longing behind_

_You can't carry it with you if you want to survive_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Werewolves.**

**Where was her proof? She didn't have any.**

**It might have made her feel better if she did have proof. A definite answer. No more research.**

**Fuck.**

* * *

Glancing around the corner, Paige immediately realized that these old men were not the colleagues she remembered. Only after a few seconds did she recall that they were in another state – and therefore her father had new colleagues. Great.

She shuffled off to the nearest bathroom on unsure feet. Heels and her had never gotten along. Grimacing, she smoothed her blue dress down and looked herself right in the eye. "Just smile, Paige," she coached herself. Then she tried a tentative smile. Not bad.

Well, after all the time she had put into the hair and makeup, yeah, she had better at least be "not bad". Her mousy brown hair was curled lightly and pulled from out of her face by a headband. The tops of her eyelids were lined with black and colored with a light brown. Her glossed lips fell into a frown when her thoughts returned to the guests just outside the door. Most of the people they had over back in Chicago she had known since she was a baby. These men were strangers.

"Hello," she gave her reflection another winning smile. "It's nice to meet you. Welcome to our home. I'm Paige. I'm Greg Flanagan's daughter. Well, Paige is my middle name. No, no one calls me Gretchen. Well, I'm a senior in high school. Yes, the school is great. No, I'm not involved in any extra curricular activities – the one's I participated in at my old school are not available here. I was on the speech team and the environmental awareness board. Yes, it's a pity. If I was here for more than a year I might have tried to found a new board. I intend to return to Illinois for college. Yes, I've sent in a few applications but my family still needs to discuss what my best options are. I intend to go on to law school afterwards. Yes, my father tells me it's quite a bit of work. Yes, you could say I'm following in his footsteps. Can I offer you any refreshments?" She concluded her spiel and leaned against the sink. This was way too much effort, but it was the only way to keep from stuttering or totally saying something stupid.

She had had enough experience with that.

A sudden knock on the door startled her.

"Oh! Sorry! Just a minute!"

One yanked sheet of toilet paper, one flushed toilet and exactly thirty seconds of the sink running later, and she opened the door to find a balding little man in a very nice suit smiling at her.

"Sorry about that," she said, moving out of his way.

"It's not a problem, dear." He smiled at her and extended a hand. "I'm Matthew Phillips."

"Hello," she said. "It's nice to meet you. Welcome to our home. I'm Paige," she offered. "I'm Gregory's daughter."

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "So that's where you ran off to! He said you were hiding somewhere. I could have sworn your name was Gretchen – that's what the announcement in the paper said."

"Well, Paige is my middle name," she explained. Because honestly, with a name like Gretchen – who wouldn't go by their middle name?

"I bet when your mother is especially angry she calls you Gretchen," he joked.

"No, actually, no one calls me Gretchen," she smiled a bit. "It's as though everyone's forgotten it was my name."

From across the room Paige noticed her mother waving a hand, beckoning her. It was time for the appetizers. "Excuse me, Mr. Phillips, it seems my mother needs me," she disengaged herself and fell into the role of hostess.

Dinner was nearly as awkward as she had predicted. Her mouth hurt from all the force smiling and she had had to pee for the past twenty minutes, but hadn't been able to slip away. Mr. Carter had finally given her a break from conversation long enough for her to excuse herself and go use the restroom.

As she was returning she overheard two congressmen discussing… the animal attacks. Her ears instantly pricked up and stared down at her plate in concentration.

"Mountain lions, huh?" one was saying.

"Yeah, I never thought they could do so much damage," the other commented.

Those aren't mountain lions, she wanted to say. It's werewolves. There are werewolves in Beacon Hills and no one knew. Just her. Just Derek. And where was her proof? There was none that she could provide. That's what she wanted more than anything: proof. For herself, at the very least. But sometimes she knew that that would just make everything that much more real and maybe it was better to live on in ignorance regarding the paranormal.

Suddenly her chest felt too tight. The dress was just her size, but it felt too small. She tried to force some food into her mouth but when a bead of sweat formed on her forehead and slid down to the corner of her lip, she abruptly stood up and excused herself again.

No one commented as she fled down the hallway. Everyone was too busy pretending that they cared about the conversations they were engaged in.

Unfortunately, she nearly bumped into Wyatt as he came up the stairs from the basement. He was pristine in a crisp navy suit. Anyone could see how he might have become friends with Jackson, dressed like that.

"Oh, hey," she muttered, pausing.

"Hey…" Wyatt looked her up and down. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just going to the bathroom," she pulled that excuse from somewhere inside herself.

"You… were just in the bathroom," he frowned at her. "That's why I had to use the one in the basement."

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right," he said, taking a step closer to her. He tilted his head because he was already taller than her, even though he was two years younger. After catching a good look at her face he repeated, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I just need some air." That, at least, was the truth.

He let her pass with only a slightly deeper frown.

The night air did wonderful things for her nerves, she decided as she sat herself on her front porch. The block was lined with cars and the moon reflected off of each windshield. It was beautiful.

Proof was what she wanted. But for that she needed Derek Hale. And she didn't know the first thing about finding Derek Hale. She had ventured to the burned ruins of his old house the day before, but had found nothing useful. What she really needed was a new plan. Research couldn't help her now.

_Sssscrech._

Paige's head shot up… to find a sleek black car blocking the road, parked right in front of her house. A tall man hopped out of it and approached the house.

It was dark, but she knew it was Derek Hale.

He frowned, "That was easy."

"What was?" she stood up, but made no move to approach him. He had been suspected in his sister's murder. She wasn't letting him get too close. And he still intimidated her, even if he believed her about the werewolf.

"Luring you out of the house," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You didn't _lure _me anywhere," she protested. When she realized how forward that sounded, she winced a bit. _Best not to anger him, Paige_, she scolded herself.

"Exactly, but here you are," Derek gestured to her. And then finally actually looked at her. Yeah, so… maybe the last time he had seen her she had had bags under her eyes and her hair had been a rats nest and she had been wearing ill-fitting sweats, that didn't mean he was allowed to be surprised when she cleaned up nicely.

Still though – her heart picked up the pace as she took note of him, taking note of her.

This was worse than Jackson, and Derek hadn't even opened his mouth yet.

"He was a werewolf," she accused. There. She said it.

Derek had the decency to remove his hands from his pockets and actually look her in the eye. "You've been googling, haven't you?" he accused right back.

"It wasn't shaped like a mountain lion," she said. "It was shaped like an overgrown wolf." Derek didn't say anything to her for a few moments, just kept watching her face. Finally, she pushed her luck and pressed, "I'm right, aren't I?"

His mouth tightened, but he still nodded.

Paige sank back down onto the steps. She felt faint. Her head was getting all clouded and she could hear her pulse in her ears. "Oh my god," she breathed.

"Calm down," Derek scoffed.

"Sorry," she muttered, shrink down farther. She didn't know why she said that. That was a stupid thing to say…

"You're coming with me," the potential murderer announced.

Her neck snapped up. "What? Why?" When he hesitated and glanced at her lively house she asked weakly, "Are you going to kill me because I found out about the werewolves?"

Well, that notion certainly surprised him. Good. "No," he muttered. "You don't have any proof anyways, and it's too easy to intimidate you. You're not a threat."

Paige didn't even bother feeling insulted.

When he saw that she wasn't about to protest, he asked, "Could you identify the man who transformed? If you saw him in the daylight, would you know him?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "I guess. The outline at least."

One nod later and he repeated, "You're coming with me."

Dishes clattering from the dining room could be heard even out on the porch. She pointed to her house, "I have a dinner party going on."

"Yeah, that you're enjoying so much, you just had to escape to the porch," he shot back.

"I shouldn't go with you," she said. She felt like she was talking to her reflection, again. Repeating the words she knew she was supposed to say. Not the ones she wanted to say.

"_Hello, I'm Paige. I'm Greg Flanagan's super shy and socially awkward daughter. The school sucks, I have no activities because I don't want to be there any longer than I have to be. Talk to my brother – he's the perfect one. He's a lacrosse player. The second I can, I'm going home – to Chicago. I will go to law school because I have no idea what else I want to do with my life and I figure I'll just follow in my dad's footsteps because he's never home and maybe being alone at an office is easier than being alone in a big, empty house."_

The battle was over.

Derek opened his mouth to maybe try to convince her, persuade her, threaten her into coming with him but she had already hopped down the stairs and was cutting across the grass.

They left her house behind and Paige felt no regret.

His car was nice. She almost complimented it but then she remembered that she was in a car, alone with a potential murderer and that was entirely her fault. And she had no idea where she was being driven. Speaking of that –

"So, where do you think this werewolf is?"

"Alpha," he offered.

"Hm?"

"It's a special kind of werewolf, called an alpha," he explained absently.

Paige stared at Derek's profile for a moment. And then the piece clicked.

"You're a werewolf," she breathed.

Derek glanced at her, but said nothing. And that spoke volumes.

Her hands were shaking, she realized. What? What kind of idiot was she? _You got in a car with a stranger after realizing that werewolves were real and you didn't think problems might arise? Are you an idiot?_ But no amount of berating herself would change the fact that this situation was bad. Belatedly she remembered that she had left her phone, her wallet, her goddamned lifeline back at her house. She was stranded.

"Calm down," Derek scolded again. "If you keep freaking out, your heart is going to burst right out of your chest." He took a sharp turn and Paige crashed against the window.

"You can hear my heart beating." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Yes," he admitted. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need you to tell me if this guy is the alpha werewolf."

"Are you involved in the attacks?" She dreaded the answer, but she needed to know.

"No, that's the alpha."

"What if I don't believe you?" she asked quietly.

It wasn't that she did or didn't believe him, but it was another thing she had learned from her father: keep questioning someone from many different sides and eventually they'll slip up and tell the truth.

"Then you'll spend this next hour continuously freaking out." He pulled into a parking lot and slid this car into the nearest parking space. "So, really, it's your choice." She didn't like his blue eyes, she decided. Too blue. "Stay here until I come get you. I'm going in," he jerked his head towards the building, grabbed a crumpled sheet of paper Paige hadn't noticed until right that moment, and swung himself out of his car with grace apparently only werewolves had.

"We're at the vet's…" Paige commented, but Derek ignored her and kept walking.

Two minutes, he came back for her and she stumbled after him.

Her heels were beginning to hurt.

Without much flare, Derek just strutted back into the vet's office and opened the door… to reveal a man who was… tied up.

Paige hesitated in the doorway. "What?" she whispered. Derek apparently still heard her and turned back. "You said… Are you going to kill me?"

He rolled his eyes roughly and growled, "No, for the last time I am not going to kill you. Would you quit asking me that?" Paige glanced at the tied up man as though that proved that he was lying. Derek followed her gaze. "I think he's the alpha. I need you to tell me if you recognize him."

Warily, Paige took a step into the room. Just the atmosphere was scary – the walls were brick and there was a large metal table in the very middle. So spooky.

Derek tilted the man's head back. His face was bloody. Had Derek beaten him? And he appeared unconscious. If he woke up would he turn into that giant creature and eat them? Paige took a step back and found herself up against the door she had just entered. The conscious man in the room gave a deep sigh and scolded, "You're scared of your own shadow, aren't you?"

One glance in his direction was all she gave him. Instead she focused on that night and the man. This person was black and bald, and on the beefier side of the body shape spectrum.

"Who is he?" she asked, coming closer again.

"The vet."

That made her glance at Derek. "The vet is the werewolf?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Derek demanded, gesturing to the man again.

Only for the man to give a low groan.

Paige jumped a foot in the air and scuttled back to the safety of the metal door. Even Derek took half a step back.

The vet's eyes flickered open and then he seemed to realize he was tied up. "Oh God…" he let out.

"Are you protecting someone?" Derek asked.

He only hesitated for a moment before saying, "All right, the key to the drug locker is in my pocket."

"I don't want drugs," Derek said, approaching the vet and grabbing him from behind. "I want to know why you're lying."

Paige pushed herself closer to the door and slid till she was the farthest away she could possibly be from the conflict – in a nice little corner. The bricks bit into her hands as she pressed them into the wall. What had she gotten herself in to? If this went sour, she could be charged with accessory to murder. Her father would kill her or disown her or dismember her. Something. Something terrible.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the vet protested.

A squeak came from Paige's mouth that was loud enough to have Derek glaring up at her. _Maybe he's not lying,_ she wanted to suggest, but instead she just shrunk farther into her corner.

Derek responded by flipping the vet around and lifting him clear off the ground, up to eye level. Paige felt her jaw drop. What kind of human had that strength? Oh wait, that's right – this was a werewolf we were talking about. And if Derek could do that so effortlessly – she let her mind roam over to the nightmarish ideas of what this alpha dude was capable of. A tear slid down her cheek.

"What are you doing to me? What do you want?" the vet demanded to know.

Well, that was useless – Paige knew from experience. When one is interrogated by Mr. Derek Hale it is best just to answer his questions because he sure as hell won't answer yours.

"I want to know who you are or who you're protecting," Derek damn near growled in the terrified man's face.

The door suddenly burst open.

"What are you doing?" came a strangled voice.

"Scott, get out of here!" the vet shouted.

Derek immediately dropped the chair and for a moment Paige was terrified that he would go after the kid who had just entered the room. What had she gotten herself into? Her father would kill her! Definitely kill, at this point.

And then the wolf began to hit the vet. And not just light swats – Derek was full out sucker punching the poor man, who had been beaten enough. Soon he was knocked out again.

The boy – Scott? – jumped between the two and grabbed Derek's arm before he could do anymore damage. "Stop!" he yelled. "Stop!"

"Look, when he's conscious he can keep himself from healing but unconscious he can't," Derek tried to explain. And by "explain" – it was more like he just shouted the information in Scott's face.

"Are you out of your mind?" the younger man demanded. Good question. Paige was wondering that herself. "What are you doing?"

"You want to know what the spiral means, Scott?" Derek asked. Spiral? What? "It's our sign for a vendetta, for revenge. It mean's he won't stop killing till he's satisfied."

"You think he's the alpha?" Scott demanded.

Derek threw a glance back at Paige, still cowering in the corner. Scott followed his gaze and apparently finally noticed she was there. "What," Scott began only to be cut off as Derek announced, "We're about to find out." And then he cocked his hand back, preparing a strike.

Paige closed her eyes so tight she could see stars against the back of her eyelids. But when no _smack_ signature of a blow sounded in the tiny room, she allowed her eyes to slide open… Only to find that the Scott boy had become a monster. His nose connected straight up to his forehead, like a muzzle and his facial hair had grown along his cheeks. Heavy brow ridges obscured his eyes, but yellow gems still glowed with the same intensity the werewolf's – the alpha's – had.

A _loud_ roar ripped from his mouth and for the first time, she noticed the fangs.

Her legs gave out but the men didn't notice.

She closed her eyes and pretended she was home. In her bed. With a book in her hands. Not in a musty vet's office with an unconscious man, two werewolves and no escape. This was the stuff of nightmares.

Scott said something. Paige didn't hear it.

Eight more months.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"You said I was linked with the alpha," Scott said over his shoulder. "I'm gonna see if you're right."**

**It wasn't until they were out of earshot before Paige voiced, "He's not going to call the alpha here, is he?"**

**Her heart was doing flip-flops at the mere idea.**

* * *

_And I never wanted anything from you_

_Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh_

_Happiness hit her like a bullet in the head_

_Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Did I mention I was bored? Because I am. And I'm excited for Monday's episode.**

**I'm leaving for work a camp tomorrow, so I won't be able to see the episode in real time. That saddens me far more than it should. Either way, someone mentioned that I should also update today even though I posted something yesterday and I figured y'all have been so nice – I should reward you, I guess.**

**So, enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_And I heard your voice as clear as day,_

_And you told me I should concentrate,_

_It was all so strange,_

_And so surreal,_

_That a ghost should be so practical._

* * *

**Previously:**

**She closed her eyes and pretended she was home. In her bed. With a book in her hands. Not in a musty vet's office with an unconscious man, two werewolves and no escape. This was the stuff of nightmares.**

**Scott said something. Paige didn't hear it.**

**Eight more months.**

* * *

Only moments later did Paige startle as a heavy hand fell on her shoulder. Her eyes shot open and found Derek's tight face. When had he crossed the room? She didn't remember him crossing the room…

"Get up," he said, not unkindly.

And then he did one better and held a hand out for her. For a moment, she remembered that he was also a werewolf and had the potential to turn into a creature just as scary as Scott. Did she want to touch him? But one look into his crystal blue eyes and she knew it was in her best interest to take him hand. Gingerly, she slid her trembling hand into his and he helped her to her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Who's she?" Scott asked, as he rummaged in a drawer. He pulled his prize from the cluttered drawer to reveal some gauze.

"I'm Paige Flanagan," she muttered, warily.

Derek glanced at her briefly, frowning, before he turned to Scott. "She saw the alpha transform from wolf to human," he explained. "I was hoping that she'd be able to come here and see him and just identify him. However, I decided to change plans."

Scott took another look at her. "Flanagan…" he said, throwing the name around a bit. "Are you related to Wyatt Flanagan?"

Hesitantly, Paige took a step closer to the boy. He knew her baby brother. That had to count for something in his favor. "H-he's my little brother," she said.

"Right!" Scott shot her a grin despite how shitty the situation was. She could have kissed him for that smile. "You use to pick him up from lacrosse practice earlier in the year. We're on the team together," he explained. Then he began dabbing the vet's cheek – apparently Derek had opened some skin on his face. Suddenly he looked like someone had spit in his milk. "He's friends with Jackson," he muttered.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "I know, he's been over at our house for dinner enough times for me to realize they aren't just a fling," she attempted to joke. It wasn't the best, but Scott seemed to appreciate it. His crazy wolf face suddenly seemed like a thing of the past.

Derek was busy in the back, pacing anxiously. Finally, it seemed he couldn't take it anymore. "So, does he look like the alpha?" he asked. His hand shot out to gesture at the unconscious man.

The honest answer was, "No. He's too wide. And even though I couldn't tell what color the hair was – I know there _was_ hair."

"See?" Scott demanded.

"He was still lying," Derek explained. "So, he must be protecting the alpha." He lapsed into a bit of silence before whirling around. "Do you have a plan?" he demanded of Scott.

Scott's face immediately tightened. That seemed to be the effect the two had on each other – stress to the extreme. At least Paige's legs were no longer threatening to give out on her again. "Just give me an hour," Scott said.

"Then what?"

"Meet me at the school. In the parking lot."

The older man held his gaze for several seconds and then whirled away. He crooked a finger at Paige. Without hesitation, she followed him out the door. The whole, "without hesitation" part should have scared her a bit but she was done questioning what was going on. Better to just do whatever they wanted her to, and continue to keep her head down. Is this what Stockholm syndrome felt like?

He folded himself into one of the waiting room seats. Paige only gave her actions a moment's thought before she sat next to him. His legs unfurled and crossed at the ankle as he leaned back and gave a great sigh.

Both stayed relatively lost in their own worlds. Paige didn't want to know what he was thinking about. Probably scary wolfy thoughts – violent, violent thoughts. Personally, she was replaying the night's events over and over again. Eventually Scott left, but not without informing Derek that he "shouldn't have involved her". Once the younger boy was out the door, the older wolf turned to give Paige a scrutinizing gaze.

She didn't even have the energy to cringe back or even open her mouth to ask what he wanted.

There was more silence.

"You haven't asked me to take you home yet," Derek threw out lightly when the silence grew too dense. Paige was almost grateful he had broken it.

"You'll take me home when you want to take me home, whether I ask to be taken home or not," she answered simply, with a hint of caution.

Suddenly something occurred to her: she didn't mind talking to him. There were some people that made her super tongue-tied and some people who she could totally be herself around. There was no particular reason why a person fell into one category or the other and so Paige had just learned to go with the flow in certain cases. Yeah, Derek certainly had his moments when he tripped her up, but within these few days – even when he was breaking into her house – she didn't feel much need to shut her mouth and duck her head…. Unless of course, he was threatening her or yelling at her. But that was just instinctive.

He gave a little, humorless snort. "You haven't tried to run away either. If I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted to be here."

"I haven't run because I'm certain you'd be able to outrun me. And I haven't totally given up on the theory that you're eventually going to kill me for knowing your secret." She pulled her body in tight as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, that's still a possibility."

Paige jerked up and faced him, horror written in ever aspect of her expression. She had been joking – well, partially joking, but mostly, entirely joking.

This time, Derek chuckled darkly and leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes. "I'm joking."

"Oh." She relaxed.

Popping one eye open, he commented, "The police report said your name is Gretchen."

"It is. But if you were named Gretchen, would you want to actually be called Gretchen on a daily basis?"

"No, it's a terrible name," he announced, relaxing again.

"Exactly."

There was more silence, before something occurred to Paige.

"Are there different stages of being a werewolf?" she asked.

Derek managed to open both eyes this time and threw out, "Why do you ask?"

"The alpha was a full-out wolf. But Scott was more human than wolf," she explained. "Can you guys turn into the full-out wolf also?"

"No," he answered after a moment. "Scott and I are beta wolves. We follow the leader – the alpha."

"But not right now?"

"No. We aren't part of this alpha's pack. We don't have a pack…" Derek trailed off a bit. His expression was so… sad. Did he want a pack? Was that an important part of being a werewolf? She was curious, but decided it was better not to ask too many questions in case he really did decide that she knew too much and had to die.

Paige did however push a bit in asking, "Why aren't you in his pack – I mean, besides the whole 'killing people' thing? Which, I fully support by the way – not participating in the killing, I mean."

He paused so long that Paige almost thought he wasn't going to answer. "He killed my sister," he finally admitted.

"Oh." _Wow, Paige. Bring up the dead sister. So smart. So classy. You would win all kinds of awards for making things awkward when you're trying to flirt_ – wait. Was she trying to flirt? Was she even capable of flirting? She had had boyfriends. But that had nothing to do with flirting – usually they had just thought she was sweet and quiet and had made the first move. And anyways, why was she interested in flirting with Derek? Sure, he was hot – but he was a violent werewolf. That's kind of deal breaker. When she could think of nothing to say, she just stuttered, "I read about that."

"About the alpha killing my sister?" he shot back, not unkindly. She was glad he had the decency to cover her blunder.

"No, about you being arrested for it. I did a lot of googling," she admitted sheepishly. "A lot. Also, you don't have a facebook." She glanced over to see his reaction.

It was in the form of a very dark glare. But, she wasn't scared. For some strange reason, she wasn't scared.

"Food for thought," she shrugged.

When the werewolf just kept glaring at her, she turned her attention to twiddling her thumbs.

"You are pretty pathetic," he finally said.

Paige didn't bother to look up from her thumbs. "I know," she answered simply. "I'm shy. I'm quiet. I don't like being a bother. I'm scared of the dark. And spiders. And heights and Indian food. Oh, and werewolves. I should add that to the list, right?" Derek didn't answer, so she kept going. "Sometimes I catch my reflection in a window or a mirror and it startles me because I think it's another person for a second. I don't like sudden movements or loud noises. I don't like that people can never remember what color my eyes are and when they bother to look – no one can ever decide. Oh, and I don't like big, empty houses."

That last part got Derek to frown. She could see it from the corner of her eye.

And then suddenly he was standing. "Time to go," he announced and disappeared into the back room. Paige scuttled after him just quick enough to watch him pull the vet over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then exit through the back door.

"I'm definitely kind of a nerd, but it's way too late to be going to school," Paige tried to joke as they sped off towards the building.

A jeep was the only other car in the parking lot as they pulled in. Two boys were next to it – one had to be Scott, but she couldn't tell who the other one was. Not that she'd be able to recognize him from school. She hadn't even been able to recognize Scott and the only way Scott had known who she was, was because of her last name.

"Where's my boss?" Scott immediately asked when they got out of the car. Oh, Paige didn't realize the boy actually worked there. Well, no wonder about his anger. "And why's she still here?" He pointed an accusatory finger at Paige.

That was a good question, actually. _Do I even want to be here?_ she wondered.

"He's in the back," Derek threw back. "And she's still here, because she's still useful."

Both boys peered into the backseat. "Oh, he looks comfortable," the boy Paige was unfamiliar with quipped. Then, he finally got a good look at her. "You pick Wyatt up from lacrosse practice," he said.

"Paige Flanagan," she introduced herself.

"Stiles, just Stiles," he gave her a nod, but his face had an expression of pure concentration. "Flanagan…" he frowned at her.

"Yeah, she's Wyatt's sister," Scott threw in. "We've established this."

But Stiles wasn't letting up. Finally he jumped damn near out of his skin. "Why didn't I see it before?" He pointed a finger at Paige. "My dad said he'd been invited to a dinner party tonight with the new district attorney! Flanagan! The new district attorney for our county is Gregory Flanagan!" Then he rounded on Derek. "You kidnapped the daughter of the district attorney! Do you know the connections that man must have?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw Derek's normal scowl deepen. The wolf glanced at her suspiciously and she worried that he was suddenly seeing her as a potential threat. Or maybe he was inwardly scolding himself. Truly, what kind of idiot breaks into the house of the district attorney of Beacon Hills?

"A lot," Paige offered, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "But Derek didn't kidnap me… so."

Stiles gaped at her a bit before Scott gave his arm a nudge. They made eye contact and Stiles shut his mouth. It seemed like the two had shared a mental message. When they turned towards the school Derek asked, "Wait. Hey. What are you doing?"

"You said I was linked with the alpha," Scott said over his shoulder. "I'm gonna see if you're right."

It wasn't until they were out of earshot before Paige voiced, "He's not going to call the alpha _here_, is he?"

Her heart was doing flip-flops at the mere idea.

"I don't know," the wolf man admitted, leaning against his car and crossing his arms. "If he does show up, though, get in the car."

"I bet he could still get into a car…"

"He could. He could rip the roof right off the car. I could rip the roof off the car," Derek frowned when he glanced at her and saw her expression. "Don't get like that again," he huffed.

"Like what?"

"Like, all spazzed out," he explained. "Like you were in the vet's office. You were doing so well… you held almost an entire conversation with me without nearly having a heart attack." When Paige didn't comment, he sighed. "Yes, he can get into the car. Easily. But you'll have two wolves outside the car protecting you. Scott's still pretty new at this, but I was born a wolf. It's all I've ever known and I can hold my own against this alpha."

Paige searched his face for a bit and then dropped the subject. Her heart rate dropped as well. Instead she asked, "People can be born werewolves?"

"It's more common to be bitten, but there are small groups of families who are all wolves as well," he explained.

"Yeah," she sighed. "You look like you were born a wolf."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're all… scruffy."

His eyebrows sprung together and he opened his mouth to probably ask her to clarify when – _ARRRRRROUHHHHHH_.

Paige jumped out of her skin for a moment, but then she realized it was just Scott…

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Derek muttered.

A laugh wormed it's way out of her throat and she had to use the car to keep herself upright. When she finally allowed the laughter to subside, she found Derek watching her. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but it was her turn to be interrupted.

This time, a loud roar ripped it's way down the hill from the school and echoed in her bones. Her mouth hung open as it faded. "I think my heart stopped," she said, pressing a hand to her chest just to make sure the organ was back in working condition. "That was… impressive," she finally allowed.

"That was stupid," Derek grit out.

And then came the boys.

"I'm gonna kill both of you," he announced. "What the hell was that? What are you trying to do? Attract the entire state to the school?"

"Sorry," Scott said. But he didn't really look apologetic. "I didn't know it would be that loud."

"It was _loud_," Paige muttered and the same time Stile piped up, "Yeah, it was loud. And it was _awesome._"

"Shut up," Derek said shortly. But he didn't sound mad… he sounded, fearful.

"Don't be such a sour wolf," Stile complained. Scott hit him lightly in the stomach for his troubles because it seemed like Scott could hear it too – whatever it was.

"What did you do with him?" Scott asked. Paige turned around and glanced in the car… The vet was gone.

"What?" Derek pushed her out of the way a bit to see for himself that their prisoner was gone. When she had started thinking of the man as _their_ prisoner, she couldn't say. "I didn't do anything," he explained.

Paige might have blinked. When she looked back at the events of the night, she was certain that her eyes must have closed for a few seconds. Because that was the only way Derek could have gone from standing there, trying to explain that they hadn't done anything to the vet – to suddenly being two feet off the ground, coughing blood. That was exactly what happened.

It was a nightmare in living flesh.

One sick thud and the man who had told her to get in the car, that he could take down the alpha, who had said he would protect her, was suddenly dangling in front of them like a gothic marionette.

A scream echoed around them. Paige figured out, vaguely, from somewhere in the sane part of her mind that it was _her_. She was screaming.

And Derek just kept choking and she just stood there.

The red eyes glittered, just like in her nightmares.

She heard footfalls behind her, retreating footfalls. The boys, she knew it. They had taken off. They were heading into the school and they had forgotten she was there. One werewolf was being gutted before her eyes and the other werewolf had forgotten she was there. "You'll have two werewolves protecting you," Derek had said. And that was no longer a possibility.

The gagging continued for only a few more milliseconds before Derek's body was hurled away. Paige followed it with her eyes because even though she certainly didn't want to see his corpse, unfortunately, she had already seen him die. And if she just focused on him, she wouldn't have to see the thing that killed him. But she knew… she knew it was there. It was right there. If she didn't move, maybe it would forget about her – like it had forgotten last time.

It's heavy breathing made the ground shake.

Werewolf. It tasted bitter in her mouth.

And then it's muzzle was right in her face and she looked it in the eyes and she screamed again and her entire world shook out of focus. It hadn't overlooked her. Her body went into flight mode and jumped back, winding up to stumble away. One step back and her high heels caught in the grass. God, it hadn't even had to knock her down. The clumsy girl fell all on her own. Backwards, into the grass.

_Up,_ she told herself. _Get up. You can still run. You need to live._

She told herself she could still run even as a heavy paw pressed her body deeper into the ground. She screamed again as she heard a _pop_ and her shoulder was aflame with pain. Was it broken? Did it matter? Wasn't she going to die anyway?

That was all the pain she could handle. Or so she thought.

Suddenly a fire started right on her left hip. It was a blaze that withered every single atom in her body.

And then… the pain subsided as quickly as it had started.

It took her a few moments to realize, as she lay in the grass – a blade of it tickling her cheek, right under her eye – that the pressure on her shoulder was gone. And the heavy breathing was gone and even the stink of death was gone. With ears that were never very keen, she listened for the monster and when she heard nothing she allowed herself the chance to open her eyes. She didn't move. She just looked at the moon. It was beautiful. And white. And she needed to get home.

Her right shoulder wouldn't support her weight. Not at all. But she managed to roll over and push herself up, still hypersensitive to wherever the alpha might have gone.

The first thing she noticed was the Derek's body was just where the alpha had tossed it. The second thing she noticed was that… he was breathing. His chest rose and fell and she didn't know how that was possible, but she took two cautious steps towards him. Her side ached, and when she pressed a hand against it, the appendage came back bloody. What had the monster done to her?

_Crrrrrenk_.

Paige stopped moving. From where she was, she could see Derek's eyes flutter open and shut with each second. But then – there it was again.

The monster ripped something from the jeep the boys had arrived in. Paige barely muffled the sob that tore at her throat but the beast heard it all the same. Those red eyes – they pierced right through her and this time she cried out. It had spotted her. It's little toy was apparently up for a second round.

Her legs moved on their own – stretching and elongating and pushing. She left the school behind her, so far behind her, but she kept going. Her side stopped hurting. Her limp shoulder might have even snapped back into place with how fast she was running. Every inch of her body sung with energy she didn't know she had and finally she got to a place where the world smelled more alive.

She didn't honestly know where she was. A forest. Deep in some forest.

And she didn't honestly know how far she had run. Maybe she had made it back to Chicago?

Earlier this evening, she had been at a dinner party. The perfect little hostess with the perfect little life and then she had helped some guy get kidnapped, some kids break into the school and a man get killed. No, she remembered, as her legs gave out. Derek was alive when she left. Her head hit the soft foliage and she wondered if he would make it out of there. Then she wondered if her parents would find her body. She had left her phone, her wallet, everything to identify her body with at home. No… her father was The People personified. She's be found and there'd be a quaint little funeral and… well, it seemed that she was leaving Beacon Hills eight months too early.

The ground was cool.

And then Paige Flanagan was reborn.

* * *

**Preview:**

**On instinct, her arm shot out and pushed him away. She didn't expect him to go very far, upper body strength was something she lacked in abundance. So, when he ended up crashing into the opposite wall, her mouth hung open, limp and shocked.**

**"Derek said he could rip the roof off a car," she muttered absently.**

**"Yeah…" Scott said gently.**

**Stiles pulled himself off the ground but didn't make any move to approach. "I'm just going to stay in this corner and not come near you again…"**

* * *

_And the only solution was to stand and fight,_

_And my body was loose and I was set alight,_

_But she came over me like some holy rite,_

_And although I was burning,_

_You're the only light_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Wow, you guys are pretty gosh darn lovely. I'm super happy. For example, the story I was/am writing in a different fandom is four times longer than this story and has less reviews. True, the popularity of the fandom definitely influences the amount of reviews and the popularity of the pairing also changes the number of reviews. But I have got to say, I'm really glad y'all are liking this so much. It warms my heart, hardcore. And plus, since I'm working a camp and am energy deprived, your reviews really make my day. Thank you!**

**A lovely person by the username of ALP sent me my favorite kind of review and I figured y'all might have some similar questions/concerns/ponders so I decided to address them in general. The first concern was about the age difference between Derek and Paige.**

**When the Argents capture Derek and Kate holds up his license his date of birth is listed on it. So, the general fandom consensus is that by the second season Derek is 24. It's later mentioned in this story that Paige is eighteen. I have it in my head that her birthday is some time in October – and this story starts in early January. Don't worry, everything is legal.**

**The second comment/question was about Paige's personality. Paige's shyness is a combination of natural quietness and switching to a new school, mid-year. I tried to draw a bit on one of my friend's experiences – despite being overweight, she was very well-liked, outgoing and popular at her old school. When she switched schools between her sophomore and junior year, everyone only judged her on her weight and she fell into some severe depression – and also became rather shy. Paige was rather well liked at her old school and while she was quiet, she wasn't nearly as skittish as she currently is. At Beacon Hills, she has no friends and without the ability to make friends (due to her shyness), it really just aggravates her preexisting introverted mentality. And a big part of that is building up to future events in this story. Believe me, she goes through a multitude of transformations.**

**Hope that helps! If anyone has anything else they'd like to bring to my attention/are wondering about, feel free. I'm not lying when I say that I love these kinds of reviews – they give me something to think about and the ability to clarify things I wasn't able to expand on in the story or was just too lazy to.**

**Also, there's a new episode. And I don't get to see it at the real time it airs. I'll have to illegally download it later. That pains me. So, I opted to turn my pain into creative energy and post this for you people early.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_But with all my education,_

_I can't seem to command it,_

_And the words are all escaping,_

_And coming back all damaged,_

_And I would put them back in poetry,_

_If I only knew how,_

_I can't seem to understand it,_

* * *

**Previously:**

**The ground was cool.**

**And then Paige Flanagan was reborn.**

* * *

There was darkness.

And waves. Soft tidal waves.

It was like being in a cradle, the rocking back and forth and back and forth. It made Paige want to keep her eyes closed. She wondered if she was in her own bed, but didn't have the energy to open her eyes and find out. Part of her was scared of the answer.

She nearly slipped back under, but the waves gave a sharp jerk. And when she reached out to steady herself, she felt only air. No, that was wrong. Her bed was queen-sized.

This bed was too small.

Her eyes slid opened.

Bright lights and too many colors distracted Paige for a moment. Then, her focus cleared sharply and distinctly and so quickly that for a second her head hurt. There was a speck of blood on the ceiling. She could see it. And smell it. She didn't know how that was possible. There were other smells too – saline and cleanness and body odor and grass.

"What?" she breathed.

One of the moving colors – a man, she realized – glanced at her and said, "Can you tell me what happened to you?"

Paige tried to remember. "Dinner party," was all she managed to get out. "Where am I?" she croaked. Her throat was so scratchy.

"In an ambulance. You're on your way to the hospital," the man explained.

"Oh," she sighed, as this time she truly slipped back under the waves of unconsciousness.

* * *

The hospital was too white. It was the one thing Paige had always hated about hospitals – they just stunk of death and dying. Especially now.

If the walls were too white to begin with, they were blinding now. And the scent of musty bedpans and sweet infection was everywhere and clinging to everything and Paige had no idea what the hell was going on.

"Baby, what happened?" her mother asked, smoothing some hair back from her daughter's forehead.

"I… don't know," Paige said.

Which was partially true. She remembered the dinner party and Derek and the vet and the school… and the alpha. There was a vague memory of running – and Derek lying in the grass, dying. And she had left him there, she realized. He had been breathing but the alpha had looked at her and she had just run away. She'd been too scared to do anything. Ending up in the woods had been a surprise and all of the hyper senses she was experiencing now were totally unexplainable. That last part, she thought was better to keep to herself.

Her mom looked her right in the eyes, searching her face for some indication that she was lying. When she didn't find whatever it was she was looking for, she sighed and stood up, "I need some coffee."

Paige watched her leave the room.

They had been in the hospital for a few hours already. Her clothes had been covered in blood and her shoulder had been broken. Or at least, the EMT had told her that her shoulder was broken but by the time the doctor had it x-rayed, he changed the prognosis to sprained and then later to simply "bruised". Paige didn't even want to begin questioning why her shoulder had gone from broken to bruised. Not at all.

A police officer had come to question her again, because apparently answering questions she could only half-answer was her newest pastime.

Part of her knew there were things she couldn't say and she had fortunately been in a decent state of mind by the time the cop had arrived. She told them she had gone for a walk. She had needed to clear her head and had gone walking, and gotten attacked and ended up falling and hurting her shoulder and then – well, there was no injury besides her shoulder. And even that didn't hurt nearly as much as it originally had. There was no way to explain the blood on her clothes until…

"Are you familiar with a man named Derek Hale?" the officer had asked.

Her breath caught for a moment and she glanced at her parents. Her father had insisted that he be there when she was being questioned. Finally she answered, "I heard he killed his sister."

The cop nodded. "Yes, he was arrested and acquitted for that. Last night he trapped a few kids in the high school. Killed a janitor."

"W-what?" Paige felt her heart speeding out of control. What had happened after she had left? A few kids? There had only been two and then, and then – a janitor?

"Hale was probably covered in blood to begin with," he explained. "If he was the one who attacked you the blood probably transferred onto you."

What the hell was she supposed to say? Shit. This cop was handing her a perfect excuse on a platter but her guilt was overpowering her mental state. Could she throw that man/wolf/whatever under the bus?

"Yeah, I think it was him," Paige finally said. They already thought it was Derek. Nothing she said could change that. At least… if they still thought it was him that means they hadn't found his body – he could still be alive.

"Are you sure?" the cop had pressed.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I saw his picture in the paper once."

She was overwhelmed and frustrated and the overflow of senses was giving her a headache. All she wanted was two minutes alone to clear her head and with her mom off to get coffee, Paige leaned back against the pillow that reeked of laundry detergent and groaned.

The light was hurting her eyes.

Two sets of footfalls came down the hallway and the sound rang her ears. The door was closed. How could she hear that? And then the sound of the door clicking open was like a shock of thunder. Her eyes snapped into focus.

"Scott," the name slipped from her mouth.

"And Stiles," the boy piped up from behind his friend.

"What happened last night?" she demanded, sitting up in her hospital bed.

Scott frowned at her a bit and walked over to her side. He glanced back at Stiles for a moment and then finally scrambled out, "You got bit."

She let that wash over her a moment and then revaluated her body. "There are no bite marks…" she protested.

"We watched him bite you," he explained. "From the windows of the front door. If it's healed already… it means… it worked."

"You're being very ominous," Paige shot back, leaning closer to him. "So the thing bit me – what would that…" She trailed off. The occult had never been of any interest to Paige but she knew the basics. She had been bit by a werewolf and that meant…

"You're a werewolf," Stiles said.

Once upon a time, she'd been able to hear her blood pulsing in her ears. Now, after last night, she could hear her own heart beating so loudly – it was deafening.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Scott grabbed her shoulder and forced her to recline back. "You need to calm down."

"Yeah, your eyes are going all bright and, wolfy…" Stiles rounded onto her other side and tried to grab her other shoulder – the injured one.

On instinct, her arm shot out and pushed him away. She didn't expect him to go very far, upper body strength was something she lacked in abundance. So, when he ended up crashing into the opposite wall, her mouth hung open, limp and shocked.

"Derek said he could rip the roof off a car," she muttered absently.

"Yeah…" Scott said gently.

Stiles pulled himself off the ground but didn't make any move to approach. "I'm just going to stay in this corner and not come near you again…"

"Sorry," she hung her head. "Are my eyes still… wolfy?" she asked.

"No," Scott tried to give her a reassuring smile. "You're fine now. We came here to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, my shoulder's getting better and… the cop said – well, what happened last night?"

When Scott hesitated and glanced at Stiles, Paige thought he wasn't going to tell her. But instead he told her the full story – starting almost directly after they had fled into the school. Even Stiles came to sit on her other side again, apparently no longer scared of her, and told his version of the story. It was a mind-blowing tale, but there wasn't much she didn't believe… Considering the night she had had.

"So… how did Jackson, his girlfriend and your girlfriend end up at the school?" she asked when they were done. "That doesn't make sense."

"Allison said that she had gotten a text from me," Scott explained.

"And she is no longer his girlfriend," Stile put in. When Scott's eyes flashed yellow, Paige held her breath. But he calmed himself down.

"There is something you should know," Scott began. "The alpha isn't the only problem out there."

"Really?" Paige couldn't keep the hysteria from her voice. "Because he seems like a pretty big problem."

"He is a big problem," Scott allowed. "But there are also hunters. People who hunt werewolves. There's a family of them living in town."

"The Argents," Stiles threw in.

Scott ignored the interruption as he continued, "If they find out what you are – if they find you in general… well, I don't know what they'll do to you." His eyes darkened. "But it won't be good. They have rules, a code, but some of them don't follow the code. Derek thinks it was hunters who burned his house down. He has an uncle in a long-term hospice, badly burned and barely human because of it."

"T-they'll burn us?" she whispered.

He seemed to realize his mistake, "No! Maybe – I don't –"

"McCall? Stilinski?"

Everyone whipped around to take in their newest visitor.

"Hey Flanagan," Scott greeted, jumping up and putting some distance between himself and the boy's sister.

"Wyatt," Paige greeted. "You know Scott and Stiles," she gestured to the boys.

"Yes I do," he replied, glancing between the three of them. "I don't know how you know them."

"We're friends," Stiles said.

Wyatt was still apparently on the fence about this assortment of individuals. But he seemed to suck it up and turned to his older sister, "Mom got a call from grandma so she's being held up. Sent me to come check on you."

"We were just going," Stiles announced and nodded to Scott.

"See you at practice," Scott said as they left.

"Yeah…" Wyatt watched them leave, and then rounded on his sister. "So, how do you know Scott and Stiles?"

"Like they said," Paige tried to smile. "We're friends."

Her brother took a few steps forward and hooked his hands into the end of her hospital bed. His eyes popped back and forth across her face. Finally he said, "If they had anything to do with last night, I will kill them."

"Wyatt," she whined, pushing herself up. "Stop overreacting, you have no reason to believe that they had anything to do with last night."

"I saw them helping Derek Hale into Stilinski's car once," he told her, crossing his arms over his chest.

Paige didn't know what to say to that. So, she didn't say anything – just gave a shrug and then winced due to her injured shoulder.

Suddenly her mother popped her head into the room and announced, "I just talked to the doctor. They are discharging you."

Good. No more white rooms and rotting scents.

* * *

Her mother respected her choice to just hang out in her room, alone. "Clear my head," she had explained. Paige had even gone through the trouble of asking her mom to stop at the library on the way home so that she could grab some books.

But Paige ignored the books. And Paige ignored her computer. And Paige ignored her bed.

Instead she stood in front of the mirror and tried to make her eyes look… wolfy.

It was one thing to be told she had somehow become a creature of the night – a mythical creature to boot. It was another thing to see things and hear things and smell things with such clarity that she wondered if she'd gone through life with a blindfold, earplugs and a nose plug. It was an entirely different thing to see her face go through the same transformation she had seen Scott's face go through the night before.

But it wasn't working.

She thought wolfy thoughts. She scrunched her face and pinched herself and finally sat down on her bed.

Scenes came running back to her and she thought back to when she had seen Scott change. He had been protecting his boss – he had growled and grabbed Derek's arm and said… "Hit him again and you'll see me get angry."

Was it anger? Was that the key to this whole thing?

It had to be anger.

Okay. Paige hopped up and looked in the mirror again. Get angry.

_C'mon Paige,_ she coached herself. _You were snatched up from the only home you've ever known, sent off to a new state. _No, that wasn't enough._ You have no friends. _Did her eyes flicker? Maybe… Okay. Harsher._ You're scared of your own shadow. You're weak. _And now, for the throat. Cut the artery. _You're pathetic._

Wolfy was right. Bright yellow and glowing. Terrifying.

Her eyes shut tightly and she stumbled back onto the bed. Her heart was beating louder than it ever had before – but the pace was wrong. Too slow. What was wrong with her? She clenched her hand to her chest, but pain erupted in that exact spot. When she opened her eyes, she realized she had cut herself. She had cut right through her shirt, right through her skin. And… her hands had claws. Long, jagged claws that were stained with her blood. She took a deep breath and as her chest heaved, the lacerations on her chest prickled angrily. Without much flare, her claws… retracted. And then she could turn her attention to her newest injuries.

Goddamnit. Her parent's already thought she was having mental issues. "You went for a walk… all the way to the other side of town?" her mother had questioned. "Are you on drugs?"

But after she yanked her torn shirt off and looked down she found that the cuts weren't as bad as she had thought. In fact – she watched closely as the wounds shrunk, the skin stitching itself back together. And then they were completely gone.

"Werewolves heal faster," came a voice.

Paige jumped a foot in the air and when her mouth instinctively opened to scream, a large paw stifled the sound.

Her hands frantically came up to pull the hand from her mouth and she squirmed in it's grasp. It wasn't until the intruding hand yanked itself away from her, bloody, that she realized her claws had come out to slash at the attacker. Her elbow jutted back as she hopped off the bed and a low groan sounded behind her.

"Derek?" she realized.

And there he was – on her bed, still leaking blood everywhere. Deep rings were etched under his eyes and he was so pale – almost grey, actually. And he was clutching his side, where Paige had hit him.

Oh yeah, and she was shirtless. Oops.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, taking a step towards him.

"Paige?" her mom's voice stopped her. "Paige, who are you talking to?" She knocked on her door.

The girl turned to Derek with wide eyes. But he remained very collected as he got off the bed and strode to stand right in the corner behind the door. Even if Paige opened her door the whole way and her mother came into the room, Derek would be out of sight.

"I-I'm talking to Liza!" Paige claimed. "She's having boy trouble!" As she was speaking, she rushed over to her dresser and threw a new shirt on.

"Oh, tell her I say hello!" And then her footfalls faded down the hallway.

Derek shot Paige a look, but strode back to her bed and gingerly sat back down. His grimace even made _her_ wince.

"The alpha put his arm through your back," Paige said softly.

"Yeah, I know," he snapped. "I was there." His attention turned to gingerly removing his jacket.

Her eyes fell to the ground and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry for leaving you," she whispered.

That got his attention. His jacket fell to the floor with a _whoosh_ but he ignored it. He squinted at the girl before sighing, "If you hadn't left you would have died."

"I got bit," she admitted.

"I know."

"What happens now?"

"…I don't know."

Paige leaned against her bedroom door. Neither one of them spoke. With the clarity she was only just now getting use to, she could hear her mother doing laundry downstairs. She had on her ipod and was listening to Pat Benatar. Almost as a way to pass the time, she focused on her senses and was immediately overwhelmed with the scent of blood – both old and fresh blood. How she could tell the difference, she didn't know. Maybe it was instinct. Either way, it had to be dealt with.

"You're bleeding," she said softly.

"A wound from an alpha heals slower than a wound from another beta," Derek explained. He whipped off his shirt and it joined the jacket on the floor. Maybe under different circumstances she might have paused to admire the way his skin pulled tight against his muscles but her focus was directed almost entirely on the problem at hand. Paige pushed herself off the door and walked around the bed to get a better look at the wound. It was like a rusty crater right under his shoulder blade. The man also had a pretty interesting tattoo. "But it will eventually heal," he concluded when he noted her observation.

"Should you bandage it?" she asked. "Won't it get infected?"

"Probably not."

"You sound so sure, I guess I'll just take your word for it," she joked weakly.

At least that managed to get Derek's lip to jump up a bit.

"I…I need to know things. There are things I don't know and I need to know them so that I can prepare for them," she alleged. Did that make sense at all? She tried again. "Scott and Stiles came to see me in the hospital, to confirm that I'd been bitten. I don't remember – well, I felt the bite but I never saw the mark. They said there were hunters – that they killed your family, that they would kill us."

"Yes," Derek said. When that was all he said, Paige frowned.

"That's not helpful," she pouted a bit.

"Yes, there are hunters," he admitted. "Yes, they will kill you if they find out what you are. Yes, they killed my family. What else would you like to know?"

"Everything," she said simply, coming to sit on the bed with him. "I need to know everything."

"About wolves?"

She nodded.

"Full moons make us more aggressive," he began. "Anger is the key to transformation. Pain keeps us human. Uh, powers include super-strength, heightened senses, increased speed. Wolfsbane is something to avoid. That's about it."

Paige nodded to show her understanding – even if she would have preferred a more in-depth explanation. "I know about Scott and you but are there any other werewolves in town?"

"Just the alpha," Derek grit his teeth and reached behind his back to pick at his wound. Paige shocked herself by shooting her own hand out to grab his wrist before he could make his injury worse. Even Derek hesitated and gave her a dumbfounded expression before he gently detangled his wrist from her grasp.

"Sorry," she apologized, blushing a bit. "But you really should bandage that."

He twisted to get a better look at it. "Do you have any bandages?"

"Probably," she jumped up and crossed the room to her personal bathroom. After a few moments of rummaging through her cabinets, she found an entire box of gauze and some tape. She showed her pillage to Derek as she reentered the room.

"That should work," he consented and held a hand out for the gauze.

After a few failed attempts at trying to position the gauze himself, she asked, "Want me to do it?"

He shot her a look, but eventually handed it over. Gently, she placed it over the mini crater and only hesitated a bit when Derek instantly flinched against the gauze. Using her teeth, she ripped a bit of tape and secured the bandage.

"You're a fugitive," she informed him once she finished.

"I'm aware," he shot back, running his fingers through his hair.

"Where are you going to go?"

"I can't leave Beacon Hills, not with the alpha still here," he explained. "But the police are still swarming my house."

"Your house?" she asked. "You don't mean… the burned down house in the middle of the woods, do you?"

His glare made her shrink back a bit but he did eventually nod. She felt a little guilty about saying something that he perceived as an insult, so she decided just to kind of throw an idea out there.

"My dad works late. My mom works a lot, too. My brother always has lacrosse practice. The house should be empty between eight in the morning and three in the afternoon. After that, it's only me until about eight at night. Sometimes later." Paige tugged at her shirt a bit but eventually revealed what she was getting at, "You're free to stay here."

Derek held her gaze for a full half a minute. Finally, he gave her a small nod.

So… that happened.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Her bones were straining, her eyes were going to pop out of her head and her eardrums were going to burst. Claws of her own making sank into her palms as she tried to take all the energy and bury it within her. Hands were on her shoulders. A voice was telling her to not fight it.**

* * *

_And it talks to me in tiptoes,_

_And sings to me inside,_

_It cries out in the darkest night,_

_And breaks in morning light._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: In my defense, I've been reading and editing an average of 20 speeches per day while writing two chapters based on the most recent episode before MTV takes it down from the website (I use the website for the subtitles). So… posting a chapter because I was bored didn't really occur to me. On a brighter note, I remembered that I was neglecting you last night and made it a goal to post a new chapter every day this weekend to get ready for this weeks episode 'cause I feel like it'll have a ton of pack-bonding in it.**

**Either way, I'm sorry and I'll try not to do it again. The story is up to 27 completed chapters, so… I can promise you that much at the very least.**

**ALSO! Did you know there is a book based on Teen Wolf! I just found out about it and I've already decided I need it.**

**Love you all and thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_And when we first came here,_

_We were cold and we were clear,_

_With no colors on our skin,_

_Till you let the spectrum in._

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige tugged at her shirt a bit but eventually revealed what she was getting at, "You're free to stay here."**

**Derek held her gaze for a full half a minute. Finally, he gave her a small nod.**

**So… that happened.**

* * *

Her new roommate left for a few hours, informing her that he had some loose ends to deal with. In the meantime, Paige showered and started on some of her homework. If she kept up this pattern of not going to school, she was bound to flunk out.

By about eight that evening, Derek returned. By about nine that night, her father returned home. The house settled into a mild state of quiet – or at least, that was Paige's underestimation of it. She could hear her brother in the other room, playing video games, she could hear her parents discussing the events of that day, she could hear Derek breathing across the room as he absently skimmed one of the books she had gotten from the library. But then again, she supposed he could hear her breathing as well.

"Do you ever get used to it?" she asked. "The constant stimuli?"

Derek didn't even look up as he answered, "I told you, I was born this way – I've never known any other level of stimulus."

Well, still unhelpful. Instead of saying anything, she just made a noise in the back of her throat and returned to her math homework. As evening turned into night and Paige grew sleepy, she stood and announced, "I'll be right back."

She returned, true to her word, with a pile of blankets and a pillow. "Hope you don't mind the floor," she said as she dropped them to the ground.

"Not at all," he replied, closing the book with a _click._ Paige slid herself under her covers and waited until Derek had situated himself in his mountain of blankets before she turned off the light. In the darkness, Derek's voice rang out, "The full moon is tomorrow night."

"You said the full moon affects us…" she trailed off, remembering.

"Yes. You'll be out of control."

Paige shot up so that she could meet Derek's crystal blue eyes, which cut through the darkness. "How out of control? Will I hurt anyone?"

"I won't let you hurt anyone," he assured her. He was stretched out on his side to prevent his back wound from being agitated. "But unless this house is totally empty, you shouldn't be here tomorrow night. There's a warehouse I know of in town. It's always empty. When the sun sets tomorrow, we'll go there."

Paige reclined back down. "What do I tell my parents?" she pondered aloud.

"Anything," was Derek's reply.

Still – so unhelpful.

* * *

School the next day was brutal. By the time her alarm clock had gone off that morning, Derek had fled her bedroom to god-only-knew-where. Besides being behind in her classwork (which was always something Paige hated above all else) she was almost constantly bombarded with new sense after new sense.

For example, school hallways smelled like shit.

And it didn't help that Wyatt, and by association, Jackson kept checking up on her. She'd turn a corner and there her brother would be, trying to make sure everything was okay in Paige's little loner world.

"How's it going, cutie?" Jackson had asked her during one of the encounters.

She had just blushed and muttered, "I'm fine," before fleeing to her next class.

It also certainly didn't help that she felt a constant sense of frustration and anger. This newfound negativity was probably a result of the impending full moon, but it only managed to make her day even worse. And then the true cherry on top of this lovely sundae was the fact that the entire school was discussing the recent break in and murder. Everywhere she turned, Derek's name followed her.

The last bell rang and she flat out high-tailed it to her locker. As always, she felt obligated to ask her little brother if she needed to pick him up – mostly because she was kind of hoping to be able to get out of that big, empty house for a few minutes to come get him.

"Nah," Wyatt told her, as per usual. "I'm catching a ride with one of the guys."

Paige avoided looking at Jackson, but she could feel his stare. All she did was nod.

But when she turned to flee, Jackson's hand shot out to keep her in place. "Hey, Paigie-Paige," he purred. "It looks like you have a new skip in your step today. It really brightens up your face – not to say your beautiful face needed any enhancement."

She honestly didn't know if she had just had enough, if she was upset that he could disregard his girlfriend – who was gorgeous by the way – so easily, if it was her brother in the background rolling his eyes, or if it was Jackson's grubby paw on her arm. In retrospect, it didn't matter.

Snatching her hand away, she got right up in his face and snapped, "I have no need for you opinion. Ever." Then she turned and walked away.

Halfway down the hallway it occurred to her how badass she must look… until she glanced down. There was only a certain level of badassery one could reach in baggy jeans, a speech team t-shirt, a hoodie and sneakers. Now, on the other hand, if she had a leather jacket…

She needed to go shopping. Adding that to her mental to-do list, she hopped in her car and took off.

"Hello," Paige called as she entered her house. Typically, she knew the schedule each of her family members kept and therefore knew if someone was going to be home. She did not, however, know the schedule of her most recent houseguest. "Derek?"

"This house is too big," he announced, sauntering down the main staircase.

"You don't have to tell me that," she grumbled and threw her backpack on the ground beside the door. "Are you hungry? Or did you already raid the fridge?"

"I had lunch." Derek followed her into the kitchen. If she was in a nicer mood she might have joked that it was like a little puppy following her, but… her humor had abandoned her for the time being. "Couldn't exactly go walking into a restaurant…"

Paige pulled down the jar of peanut butter from a cabinet and then grabbed the jelly. "So, you have you just been living in that burned down house this entire time?" she asked, not really wanting to know considering how weird that kind of situation would be.

"Yes," he answered gruffly, pushing a chair out from the table to sit down. "Not all of it is uninhabitable. Especially for a werewolf. And there are other places I've crashed at. I'm not picky." He caught a glance at the jars Paige set on the counter. "Peanut butter and jelly?" he snorted.

"You aren't picky," she shot back.

* * *

"I'm going to need a tetanus shot after this…" Paige snarked as she took in the sight of the warehouse.

Her parents thought she had gone to bed early.

Part of her wished she was capable of going to bed early. That was just what she needed after the day of overwhelming stimuli she had had. But already her veins were humming with the kind of energy she was only slowly growing used to.

"Not if you don't bump into anything," came Derek's voice over her shoulder.

Eyeing a huge piece of sheet metal with razor sharp edges, Paige shrugged. "You haven't seen how clumsy I'm capable of being…"

"You're a wolf now. You aren't clumsy any more."

Paige sat herself down on a crate. "Watch me be the only clumsy wolf in existence," she smiled. "If it's gonna be anyone, it's gonna be me."

Derek narrowed his blue eyes at her, "You don't have a very good self image, do you?"

For a moment, she gaped at him. Then, her mouth shut with a click and she tugged at the edge of her sweatshirt. "I'm a teenage girl," she said. "I'm entitled to some insecurities."

"Yeah, some."

Change of subject. "So, what's going to happen?"

He took a seat opposite her. "Essentially, you'll freak out," he said simply.

"… will it involve a tail?"

"A… tail?" he gaped at her.

"A tail. Wolves have tails. Will I grow a tail?"

His blue eyes blinked at her. Again and again. And then… he laughed. The man threw his head back and laughed like a maniac. It was Paige's turn to gawk. It had seemed like a perfectly legitimate question when she had first asked it. Normally she might have been embarrassed about asking a question that was apparently so ridiculous that Derek Hale, Mr. No, I Never Smile, was actually cracking up. But… he was actually cracking up. And it took years off his face. And she loved the sound that was coming out of his mouth. This was what a carefree twenty-four year old looked like.

When his laughing finally subsided, Paige just sat there with a stupid little grin on her face.

She felt accomplished.

And then – her body jerked forward.

Her bones were straining, her eyes were going to pop out of her head and her eardrums were going to burst. Claws of her own making sank into her palms as she tried to take all the energy and bury it within her. Hands were on her shoulders. A voice was telling her to not fight it.

Paige opened her eyes and even in the darkness everything was crystal clear. Derek was holding her, his hands slid down her shoulders to grab her wrists. Jackson had grabbed her wrist. She didn't want her wrists touched.

Suddenly Derek was flying across the warehouse and Paige knew somewhere in her human brain that she had thrown him. Her wolf brain wanted to throw him again. Two steps toward her victim and suddenly it was _her_ flying across the room.

When had Derek gotten to his feet?

Didn't matter. _Get at him_, she told herself.

Her feet took her the ten feet forward and she launched herself at her target, claws blazing. Derek had predicted that move and she was knocked off balance as his arm clotheslined her in the gut. The breath escaped her lungs which was just enough time for Derek to get an arm around her waist and pull her flush against his chest – his other arm pinning her wrists to her chest.

But she didn't fight.

There was a pane of glass, or maybe very shiny metal, either way – she saw her face in it.

The muzzle, the wild hair (when had it escaped it's ponytail?), the fangs, and the glowing yellow eyes. She was a monster.

_You are a werewolf_, she told herself. _It's not the same thing. Now calm the fuck down. This isn't like you. You just hit Derek. You tried to kill Derek. And let's be honest, he's probably the only friend you have in Beacon Hills. Don't let this moon control you._

Derek could feel her relax, but he didn't release his grip. Not until she said, "I hit you. I'm sorry." Even her voice had changed, but she didn't dwell on it.

When her feet hit solid ground, she remained silent, trying to focus on her reflection. It was the one thing keeping her herself right now. That, and the voice in her head. She needed to focus.

"You need to find an anchor," came Derek's voice. "Something to focus on. It might help to run a few laps around the warehouse." She could hear his breathing, his heart beating. It was slowing down. Paige listened to it as she continued to look at herself. It was a nice combination.

She internalized it. She made it her anchor.

Then, she began to run. Lap after lap, all the while focusing on Derek's heartbeat and the mental image of her new face.

When he disappeared at one point, informing her that he needed to check on Scott, she barely noticed that he was gone. His absence only lasted less than an hour, and she hadn't really noticed he was gone, but when he came back, she felt instantly relieved.

Come morning, she couldn't move. Derek had to carry her home.

* * *

"You survived," Derek commented later that day.

"Doesn't feel like it," she mumbled into her oatmeal. An obnoxious yawn pulled itself from her mouth.

The beta spooned some of his own oatmeal into his mouth. "I was actually a bit surprised," he added. "You kept yourself together pretty well."

"I hit you," she protested.

"I was expecting you to rip my throat out – or at least try to. I'm too strong for you to actually succeed." He searched her face for a moment. "Try to retract you claws."

"Now?" she gulped down her last bit of after-school snack.

"No time like the present," he said lightly, leaning back in his chair.

Paige stuck her hand out, palm up and then slowly pulled her fingers in towards the center. Nothing. Even flexing her fingers didn't do much. Derek came to stand behind her. "Who do you dislike the most?" he asked.

"I don't really dislike anyone…" she admitted, twisting to look him in the eyes.

"You didn't seem too pleased that your brother was friends with Jackson," he suggested.

"That's because Jackson is an ass."

"So," Derek began, reaching down to cup her hand in his larger mitt. "Think about how much of an ass Jackson is." The claws shot out violently. So violently that Paige jumped back, knocking into Derek a bit. "Focus," he murmured behind her. The word vibrated in his chest – Paige could feel it.

Focus.

That was what she had been telling herself with each lap around the warehouse the night before. She just had to focus.

_Go back in_, she told them. _I don't need you right now_.

Slowly, with grace she didn't think the ugly little claws could have, they slipped back into regular fingernails. Derek let go of her hand, but it wasn't enough for Paige. If she could focus to make them go away – how much focus did she need to make them come out again? She willed them to return. She focused on the lengthening of each individual nail – visualizing it.

And they grew.

Mesmerized, she watched them shape themselves into little points. The area closest to the nail bed was a dark brown and the nails themselves were yellowish. Paige wondered what would happen if she painted her fingernails.

Twisting to ask Derek, she found him frowning at her hand. She followed his gaze back to her appendage to find that the nails had shrunken back to their normal size when she wasn't looking.

"What's wrong?" she asked the wolf.

That snapped him out of it.

"Nothing's wrong," he shook his head. "You're just… good at that. At focusing. A real natural, if I'm any judge."

"Well," she tried to smile. "I've always wanted to be good at something. Who'd have thought that my hidden talent was controlling my werewolf powers?"

Briefly, she wondered when the word had stopped scaring her – when it had become a normal part of conversation… Probably when Derek moved in. He had made everything a lot more real. And had been a great help, she realized. She wondered if Scott would be more accepting of the man if he could see Derek like this. At the very least, last night had been the true test of realization. Seeing herself as a new creature… If she had thought she was dreaming this, she had nothing to hide behind anymore. Everything was very much real.

"I have errands to run tonight," he informed her.

"Okay…" Paige trailed off, waiting for the "but" she just knew would follow. She was getting good at reading this man.

"You're coming with me." No question. Just a command. That was Derek for you. Very "his way or the highway" mentality with a few minor entailment issues.

"Will I get to use my new werewolf powers?" she asked as she cleared the table.

"Hopefully not."

* * *

They all met in the abandoned warehouse that Paige had spent last night running around in. She couldn't say it was nice to be back… but given how much time she had spent there, trying to stay focused… it was an interesting feeling to observe it with human eyes.

When Derek tossed his keys at Scott, even Paige was surprised.

"You… wait, you want us to just drive the car around town?" the younger boy asked.

"Hey," Stile snatched the keys from Scott's hand. "I'm not complaining."

Derek yanked the keys away from Stiles and threw them back at Scott. "I will only let Scott drive. Only Scott."

"What? Why?" Stiles stammered. "What's Scott got that I don't?"

"Heighten senses, clearer focus… a brain, maybe."

Paige giggled behind her hand. Apparently, the noise was unexpected and caused all the boys to glance at her. Scott pointed at the resident female, "What's her role in all this? Why are we driving your car around?"

The older wolf crossed his arms. "I have errands to run and I can't afford anything to go wrong. The police and the hunters know what my car looks like – they have my license number. You'll lead them off my trail."

"And Paige?"

She exchanged a look with Derek, wondering the same thing, before he answered, "I need a look out."

"Then let me do that," Scott suggested. "You can't put her in danger."

"Why?" Paige spoke up. Immediately, she could think of some reasons but all of them made her feel a bit insulted. She hoped he would come up with something original.

For a moment he struggled with the words. "You're, you're a girl," he finally managed. "And you're really jumpy. And… you're Wyatt Flanagan's sister!"

"I don't know why any of that matters…" she trailed off. "Don't say a girl can't defend herself – that's just sexist. I know I'm jumpy, but I'm getting better and Wyatt has nothing to do with this."

"Yeah, which is why he cornered us in the locker room and told us that if we did anything to hurt you, he'd pummel us into the lacrosse field," Stiles muttered.

"He did what?" Paige couldn't even wrap her head around it. Her sweet baby brother, threatening people on account of her.

"It's not a big deal," Scott cut in. "But I'd rather do the dangerous stuff."

"She won't be in danger," Derek snapped. "Just drive my damn car and don't worry about it." He grabbed her shoulder, twisted her around and guided her outside.

As the trudged along towards the high school, Paige muttered, "I can't believe Wyatt did that…"

"He's just trying to protect you," Derek commented.

Holding her hand in front of her, she let her claws come out. "I feel like, at this point, I can take care of myself," she said as she showed him her talons.

Derek just rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Wait here," Derek pointed in the doorway. "Keep your eyes peeled." And then he slunk into the school.

_Focus, focus, focus,_ Paige coached herself. Slowly, her senses spread out. She could hear Derek's fading footfalls – and his heartbeat. Even though the night was dark, she could see each individual leaf on the bushes right outside the main doorway. The night air breezed into her nose… and then something snapped.

Derek had only been gone a few seconds when the air shifted and Paige threw her focus into hallway and across the school.

On instinct her claws jutted out.

The alpha was here.

And then, the sirens pierced her ears.

Fuck.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Paige sighed from her place on Stiles' bed. "I have mixed feels about breaking into someone's house."**

**"Well," Derek leaned up against the wall. "Get over them."**

**"There's a bit of a situation you should know about," Paige began. She had been debating all afternoon if she should tell him because she wasn't sure what he would do if he was informed of the matters at hand. "Jackson knows what Scott is."**

* * *

_Say my name,_

_And every color illuminates,_

_We are shining,_

_And we'll never be afraid again._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine. One day I'll use lyrics that aren't from a Florence and the Machine song and that day will probably be when I run out of songs to use. Probably.**

**A/N: Look! I did it! I posted it! I'm so happy! I hope you are too!**

**Side-note, 'cause I'm weird. I was watching the sneak-peek for Monday's episode and it has me a wee bit worried. The pack's reaction to the full moon seems a lot more intense than Paige's was last chapter. Depending on how the episode goes, I might rewrite that chapter a bit. If I do, I'll tell you that things have been changed.**

**Also – more plot holes! Ah! Lydia's birthday is in August. The formal was a winter formal. They all wear jackets. This next episode occurs on Lydia's birthday. Lydia's August birthday. In California. I can't handle this. I'm just going to start making shit up. Watch me.**

**And! Prepare for the beginning of some romance. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_I was a heavy heart to carry_

_My feet dragged across ground_

_And he took me to the river_

_Where he slowly let me drown_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Derek had only been gone a few seconds when the air shifted and Paige threw her focus into hallway and across the school.**

**On instinct her claws jutted out.**

**The alpha was here.**

**And then, the sirens pierced her ears.**

* * *

Of all the things to happen, that was probably the worse combination. Paige knew that she had the hunters and the alpha to worry about. Derek on the other hand had both of those and the cops. And two of the three were here, now. Oh, and if the cops caught the district attorney's daughter helping a known fugitive evade arrest, her father would literally murder her.

With legs she wasn't aware could run so fast, she sprinted off in search of Derek – only to run almost right into him.

"The alpha!" they said in unison.

Then, Derek grabbed her arm and yanked her around the corner, down another hallway and into a classroom.

"We need to split up," Derek said, poking his head out the window. "You head east, I'll head west."

"Are you sure?" Paige asked. "You said wolves are stronger together." And she wasn't entirely certain she liked the idea of letting him out of her sight… or of him letting her out of his sight.

He shot her a distracted look. "In a pack sense, not a literal sense," he muttered. "Meet back at your place. Watch out for hunters." And then he opened the window and jumped out.

Paige watched him damn near sail across the lacrosse field until he disappeared from even her wolf sight. And then, in the distance, she could hear the police stomping up the halls.

Time to fly.

She made it back to her house in half the time she had expected to, even given her wolf-power estimation and climbed up to her bedroom window. It seemed that she was using that method a lot more than the front door at this point. After a few minutes of pacing around her room, waiting for Derek to come back, she finally got fed up. Her trip home had gone off without a hitch – was it possible that his hadn't?

Careful not to make a lot of noise, she pulled herself up to her roof. Even when she sharped her focus, she couldn't find him… She did however, find a couple two doors down having pretty kinky sex. With a blush, she sat down and admitted to herself that he wasn't in her neighborhood.

What could have happened?

Trying to calm her wildly beating heart, she crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. Her head felt light. Instead, she closed her eyes and kept her focus on every single rustle within earshot.

It must have been half an hour before she was able to hear a car screeching in the distance.

Derek came stomping up the road about a block off and then climbed up onto the roof to sit beside her.

"What happened?" she asked in a hushed voice. Her parent's bedroom was on the other side of the house, but she figured up on the roof her voice would carry.

"I had a run in with a hunter," he explained. "Scott and Stiles picked me up."

"A hunter? Shit… Three out of three," she muttered.

"Hm?" Derek grunted, dropping his head into his hands.

"You have the cops to deal with, the alpha to deal with, and the hunters to deal with," she explained. "You dealt with all three of them tonight. Three for three. Your luck just sucks tonight, doesn't it?"

"My luck is usually nonexistent, if I can be perfectly honest," came his reply.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two before Paige ventured, "Where were you before you came back to Beacon Hills?"

"New York." He pulled his head from his hands and turned his attention to the sky. "My sister moved us to New York after the fire."

Well, that was probably a touchy subject and Paige would rather avoid it entirely. Instead of pressing further, she smiled and asked, "Is it weird being back?"

"If by weird, you mean one trip after another down memory lane, then yes," he snapped. "And half those memories I've spent years trying to forget." The force of his glare made her heart jump. But instantly, his looked softened. He must have heard the effect his anger had had on her.

"Sorry," she muttered, pulling at her t-shirt.

Derek glanced at her momentarily. "Don't be," he whispered. After a moment he changed the subject. "We have a lead. A necklace Laura was trying to find – it belongs to Allison Argent."

"Scott's girlfriend?" Paige inquired.

"Apparently ex-girlfriend now. He's seeing if he can locate it."

"… And what do we do in the meantime?"

"Lay low."

* * *

The next day at school, Paige felt basically like her old self. Actually, almost entirely like her old self. Without the impending full moon to eat at her frustration and make her more vocal and sharp, she was just plain old, shy Paige Flanagan.

However, lunch took a turn for the interesting as Stiles and Scott called her over.

Gingerly and with suspicion written in every aspect of her body language, she sat down across from them. "Yes?" she inquired.

Stiles glanced at Scott and Scott glanced at Stiles. Finally, Stiles broke the ice. "We just thought you might want someone to sit with…" he informed her. "And our lunchtime discussion does involve you somewhat."

Paige still stared at them. "Aren't you scared of my brother?" And then she pointed.

Across the lunchroom, Wyatt was sitting with a couple of the lacrosse players – including Jackson and the female entourage that always seemed to follow them. Wyatt was looking right at the little rag-tag bunch with an eyebrow raised. _He looks like dad when he makes that face,_ she thought.

Scott glanced at Wyatt and then back at Paige. "It's fine."

Relaxing a bit, Paige grabbed her fork and began to eat. "Did you find the necklace?" she asked, recalling what Derek had told her the night before.

When all the boy did was groan, Stiles explained, "She isn't talking to him so he has to steal it."

"Peachy," she muttered.

Then Scott perked up. "He's watching us," Scott said.

"Who?" Paige asked, twisting in her seat. It was Jackson. Of course it was Jackson. The little weasel.

Suddenly Scott's face went white – well, as white as a Mexican face can get. Paige instantly sharpened her senses in some attempt at figuring out what was wrong.

"You can, can't you?" came Jackson's voice loud and clear from across the room. Who was he talking to?

"What's wrong?" Stiles questioned.

"Jackson's talking to be," Scott explained in hushed tones. "He knows I can hear him." When Stiles glanced across the room, Scott demanded, "Look at me. Just talk to me. Act normal. Pretend like nothing's happening."

"Are you pretending not to hear me?" Jackson asked.

"Say something! Talk to me!"

"I can't think of anything!" Stiles admitted. "My mind's completely blank."

"D-derek lives at my house sometimes," Paige piped in, trying to help. Both boys shot her horrified expressions. "It's not so bad. I mean, he's not so bad."

"Where does he sleep?" Stiles asked.

"My bedroom," was Paige's reflexive answer.

If it was possible, Stiles turned a shade of purple and sputtered a bit. Paige could feel her face flush a bright red as she realized what the connotation of that phrase might imply. But her embarrassment was short-lived as Jackson continued to speak.

"Hey McCall, I'm over here. So what else can you do? Uh? Can you see better? Are you stronger? More powerful? No, I knew there was no way you suddenly got good at lacrosse. Which means you're actually a cheater, aren't you? I mean, can you even play lacrosse?"

"Yes," Scott growled.

Instantly, Paige reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "Scott, he's trying to bait you. Don't let him. Focus him out."

But the younger wolf wasn't listening. At all. He was so focused on Jackson and Jackson's little tirade. Paige focused him out of her own head – just in case he turned to her next, and tightened her grip on Scott's wrist. But when suddenly Scott's arm jerked and he broke his lunch tray, she realized Jackson had already won.

* * *

"What is the purpose of this again?"

"I need to know if Scott has the necklace."

"I already told you that he has plans to break into her house after school today."

"And it's a bit after what would be considered "after school". Stiles will be the first one to know if Scott has managed to get the necklace."

Paige sighed from her place on Stiles' bed. "I have mixed feels about breaking into someone's house."

"Well," Derek leaned up against the wall. "Get over them."

"There's a bit of a situation you should know about," Paige began. She had been debating all afternoon if she should tell him because she wasn't sure what he would do if he was informed of the matters at hand. "Jackson knows what Scott is."

"What?" Derek pushed himself off the wall. "I told Scott he shouldn't be playing lacrosse – he can't control himself." Then he rounded on her. "Does he know about you?" When she shook her head he responded with a curt nod. "Keep it that way."

"What… what are you going to do?" she finally asked. Did she want to know the answer?

"I don't know yet…" he admitted. "Maybe threaten him. Rough him up a bit."

"So, you won't kill him?"

Derek shot her a look. "I'm a predator. Not a killer."

Paige opened her mouth to say something – probably apologize for assuming such a terrible thing about the mad, but the jeep pulling into the driveway halted all conversation. Derek crossed the room and nearly dragged Paige into the corner behind the door with him. His heartbeat pulsed in time with hers – up until hers began to climb because of how close they were. Derek didn't comment, even though she knew he could feel it.

Stiles came bounding into his room and sat himself at his desk. He didn't even bother to check his surroundings. Jesus, if Derek and Paige had wanted to kill him, it would have been too easy.

"Hey, Stiles!" came a voice from downstairs. His father, Paige realized.

"Yo…" Stiles twisted around and caught sight of them. "…Derek." Well, now Paige knew who he was more afraid of. "I…um," he was cut off as Derek jerked a finger at the opened door and the impending entrance of the Sheriff. Stiles distracted his father.

The second he reentered the room, however, Derek grabbed him by the collar and forced him up against his door. Instinctively, Paige reached out a hand to pull him off the younger boy, but before it made contact she thought better of it. Derek ignored her. "If you say one word…" the beta trailed off.

Despite the situation, Stiles still had his humor. "Oh what, you mean like, "Hey, Dad. Derek Hale's in my room. Bring your gun"?" Derek relaxed a bit. "Yeah, that's right. If I'm harboring your fugitive ass, it's my house, my rules, buddy." The kid gave Derek a light tap with the back of his hand. Paige bit her lip as Derek glanced down at where Stiles' hand had made contact.

And then he surprised her.

Derek gave the boy a nod and let him go. Then, as though to further shock her, Derek tugged Stiles' jacket back into proper order… only for Stiles to reciprocate. Was this some kind of weird male bonding?

Stiles returned to his desk, but not without Derek getting the last laugh as he jutted his head out – startling the boy so much he let out a yelp of, "Oh my God."

"Scott didn't get the necklace?" he immediately pounced.

"No, he's still working on it," Stiles explained. "But there's something else we can try. The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent a text to Allison to meet him there."

"So?"

"So, it wasn't Scott."

Interesting turn of events. "Can you track down who sent it?" Paige asked, joining the conversation for the first time since Stiles had arrived.

"No, not me," Stiles turned back to his computer. "But I think I know somebody who can."

"Who?" Paige sat back down on the bed.

"Danny – he's on the lacrosse team," Stiles said over his shoulder.

"Oh… the gay one? Who's friends with Jackson?"

"The one and only?"

* * *

Paige shifted in her seat on the bed. Her notebook had been opened for the past twenty minutes, but she was too engrossed in her own thoughts to put any real effort into studying. She wanted a leather jacket, she decided. But would Derek think that was weird? Would he think she was copying him? It did make him look less visible at night – so it had it's uses besides a fashion statement…

And then their guest arrived.

When Danny followed Stiles into the bedroom, he glanced at Paige. "You're Flanagan's little sister, aren't you?" he asked.

"Um…" Paige felt her face flush. "Actually, um – I'm his… I'm older than him," she finally got out.

"Oh, sorry," Danny had the decency to wince. "I've just seen you around sometimes and you always seem… well, younger I guess."

"It's okay," she mumbled.

It wasn't okay. But she shoved it deep down inside herself instead of properly dealing with it. Derek glanced up at her, she knew because she could feel his eyes on her face. She didn't look at him. She just turned back to her studying and didn't check back in until…

"You want me to do what?" Danny exclaimed.

"Trace a text," Stiles repeated.

"I came here to do a lab report," he stated. "That's what lab partners do."

"And we will," Stiles placated. "Once you trace the text."

"And what makes you think I know how?" he shoved in Stiles' face.

"I… I looked up your arrest report, so…"

"I… I was thirteen," Danny protested. "They dropped the charges."

"Whatever."

"No," he took a seat. "We're doing lab work."

And the matter was settled.

As they got to work, though, Danny glanced back at Derek. Probably because of the aura the wolf was sending the gay teens way. Paige could feel it – a kind of heat radiating from his body. Derek was scary when he was angry and the fact that this kid wouldn't help him find information he needed, whether the kid knew he was being unhelpful or not, made him very upset.

"Who's he again?" he asked Stiles. He probably thought he was being quiet. He was better off screaming it in Derek's ear for all the good it did him.

"Oh, uh… my cousin. Miguel."

Paige muffled a snort and Derek glared at her. All she managed by way of apology was a small smile.

"Is that blood on his shirt?"

Stiles glanced back. "Yeah. Yes. Well, he gets these terrible nosebleeds. Hey Miguel," he addressed the wolf. "I thought I told you you could borrow one of my shirts."

Derek slammed the book shut and Paige had to completely turn around to hide the grin stretched across her face. And then he yanked off his shirt. That… well, she couldn't say it was unexpected. Stiles had told him to change shirts. But still, the sight of his toned back made her heart speed up. She knew he could hear it. Oh Lord, how embarrassing.

Her attention wasn't anywhere near the conversation Stiles and Danny were having until…

"Uh, Stiles…" Derek spoke up. "This… no fit."

"Then try something else on," Stiles suggested.

As Derek turned back to the dresser, he shot her a dark look. He could tell she was enjoying this. Paige stuffed her face back in her notebook.

"Hey, that one looks pretty good, huh?" Stiles asked. "What do you think, Danny?"

Paige snuck a peek from under her eyelashes.

"It's… it's not really his color," the boy finally admitted.

Derek's jaw clenched, but Paige silently agreed. Maybe just the blue… especially with his eyes, but that orange was just – ick.

"Stiles," the wolf's voice rang out. "None of these fit."

Paige glanced up between Stiles and Derek… and then noticed the look Danny was giving Derek. Ah, so that was Stiles' game. Paige understood it, but she certainly didn't like it. The fact that Danny was eyeballing Derek was just… wrong. A spark of possessiveness flamed up inside of Paige for a moment and her claws dug into her notebook – leaving holes through all one hundred leafs of paper. Derek's head jerked up as he sensed the disturbance.

Calm down, Paige coached herself. Of all things to get upset over! Danny is gay. Derek is… well, she didn't know which way he swung… had never bothered to ask. But it doesn't matter, she reminded herself. He isn't yours, no matter what his preferences.

The claws disappeared, but she didn't look up. She knew what she'd see – Derek's questioning gaze. And if she looked up, he'd know immediately what was wrong with her. It was one thing for a girl's heart to beat out of control in a guy's presence – that can be written off as lust. It's another thing to get possessive about a guy.

Twenty minutes later, and Danny sighed, "There. This text was sent from a computer. This one."

Paige's shoulder brushed Derek's as they both leaned in close to see the name… Melissa McCall.

"Scott's mom?" she asked.

* * *

Paige sat on the floor this time. Danny had left, and Stiles was just grabbing a bite to eat before they went to the hospital to investigate.

"The alpha can't be Scott's mom," Paige threw out. "It's a guy."

"But she could be helping him – protecting him," Derek shrugged on his jacket. "That might explain why Scott was bitten." The beta crossed the room to glance out the window.

"Wouldn't explain why I was bitten, though," she muttered. After a pause she finally just asked the one question that had been bugging her since Danny had left. "What's your sexual orientation?"

For a moment Derek kept his gaze outside… then he turned and simply said, "I'm straight." Before Paige could backtrack and make some kind of excuse for wondering about a question like that, Derek added, "But don't get your hopes up. Nothing would ever work between us."

And then he fled the room.

Which meant… he had thought about whether something would work. Which meant… he had at one point considered something.

Yes, most girls would hear the blatant rejection in his statement and ignore everything else, but Paige… well, Paige was an overthinker. It came with the same territory as being terribly shy. Maybe he had never actually considered anything, ever. Or at least, on his own. It was very likely that one of those times they'd been a bit too close and her heart had freaked out, he had taken note and put his foot down mentally about whether it was a good idea to start something with her. Either way, Paige was just going to nod and move on. What kind of relationship could she have with a fugitive werewolf anyways?

Though, he _did_ sleep in her bedroom.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Stiles stuttered, glancing between Peter and the nurse. Then he just broke down into muttering, "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die."**

**Paige couldn't agree more as a whimper escaped her throat. But, she wasn't looking at the nurse. She only had eyes for the alpha. And he was only looking at her. He was looking at her like he could see every thought she was having, each pulse of fear pumping inside her brain.**

* * *

_And is it worth the wait_

_All this killing time?_

_Are you strong enough to stand_

_Protecting both your heart and mine?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Aren't you all so excited for tomorrow night? I am! I am so excited! Also, I am halfway done with camp, which is great because then I can go home and read Teen Wolf: On Fire and do all kinds of crazy things. And I won't have to spend literally 24/7 with high schoolers…**

**Got a review (once again, my favorite kind) and thought I should clarify some things again.**

**The review said, "I mean he reveals too much about himself. Even with his current pack he isn't like thy on the show. Did you notice on thi weeks episode when he told Boyd to run, he seemed surprised Detek cared? I think a lot of fan fics over do Derek's feelings too early on in their fics . He is guarded and for good reason. That doesn't change in a short space of time no matter who you meet you know?"**

**And I completely agree. But… this is going to sound cliché, but I think Paige is different.**

**I feel like the series doesn't allow a lot of opportunity to show Derek's interaction with people he feels he can trust or at least rely on. Truthfully, the guy has a lot of trust issues to begin with and then Scott and Stiles spend most of both the first and second season working _against_ Derek. I'm not surprised he doesn't put a lot of trust in the boys.**

**Paige represents something totally different – she is also a wolf (like him) and is older (so a bit more relatable) and she puts her faith in him and helps him. In a different situation I feel like he isn't the brooding/snarling/non-talking wolf. He's definitely reserved and quiet but given that he's lost everyone he's ever cared about – given that right now he's alone in the world, I feel like he's searching for at least one person to rely on. In the canon, Scott is that person and unfortunately he usually manages to let Derek down.**

**Paige is different because she also, at some level, is alone in the world currently. They're two lost souls. Also, she's safe. At the beginning of the story she's so shy and pathetic that Derek knows he can intimidate her. After she's bitten, she's still safe because she's like him – she's part of his world. A read a spoiler for the new book and it mentioned Derek not trusting human women. Paige is a wolf now – and more pack-sister, less mate at this point. He's more likely to trust her and right now he needs an ally against the alpha and the Argents.**

**So… that's my take on it.**

**If anyone else feels like he's revealing too much, shoot me a note. I'd very much like to get this right. Thank you!**

**Also, Paige is about to get a bit more kick-ass. Let the transformations begin.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl_

_Frozen in the headlights_

_It seems I've made the final sacrifice_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige sat on the floor this time. Danny had left, and Stiles was just grabbing a bite to eat before they went to the hospital to investigate.**

**"The alpha can't be Scott's mom," Paige threw out. "It's a guy."**

**"But she could be helping him – protecting him," Derek shrugged on his jacket. "That might explain why Scott was bitten." The beta crossed the room to glance out the window.**

* * *

They had just pulled into the hospital parking lot when Stiles' phone buzzed. It took him a moment to distinguish the feeling, but both wolves were quick to hear it. Apparently this was a perk of being a werewolf. Good, Paige had a nasty habit of losing things.

"Your phone is going off," Paige muttered from the backseat.

Stiles took a brief glance at the caller I.D. and immediately said, "Hello."

Paige could hear Scott over the other end. "Did you get the picture?"

"Yeah, I did and it looks just like the drawing."

Derek yanked Stiles phone – and his wrist – up to his mouth. Because apparently the beta didn't have to follow normal social protocols. "Hey," he began. "Is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something. An inscription, an opening, something."

"No, no," Scott's voice said. "The thing's flat. And, no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here." Paige realized he was no longer talking to Derek. "You're first line."

A voice in the background said, "Where the hell is Bilinski?"

"Bilinski?" Paige wondered aloud. Part of her felt a little sympathy for the boy. She knew how much lacrosse meant to her brother and she also knew that Stiles had never been first line and this was his only chance.

"Don't ask," Stiles shot back.

Scott spoke into the phone, "Man, you're not going to play if you're not here to start."

"I know!" the boy sounded so frustrated. "Look, if you see my dad, can you tell him… Tell him I'll be there, I'll just be a little late, okay? All right, thanks."

The moment he snapped his phone off, Derek spoke up. "You're never going to make it," he alleged.

"I know…"

"And you didn't tell him about his mom, either."

"Not till we find out the truth," Stiles decided.

"I'm sorry," Paige said.

Stiles turned around in his seat and gave her a smile. "Don't be. I'm just trying to be a good friend."

She returned his smile. "Scott's lucky to have you," she informed the boy.

"Well duh!" he joked.

"Hey Stiles," Derek spoke up. "One more thing."

Suddenly the wolf's hand shot out and grabbed the jokester by the back of his head – only to slam his face into the steering wheel. The entire car shook and for a moment Paige was worried that Derek had broken Stiles' face.

"Oh, God!" he shouted.

"Derek!" Paige yelled in unison. What the hell did the dude think he was doing?

"You know what that was for," the wolf accused. "Go." He pointed to the building. When Stiles hesitated, he repeated, "Go!"

Being that Paige wasn't a fugitive, she popped open the backseat door and slid out to follow Stiles. The original plan was that they would go in there and look around. If they were caught snooping, they would just say that they were looking for Scott's mom. Her feet had barely hit the floor when Derek's voice reached her.

"Be careful," he warned.

She poked her head in through the window. "Don't worry – I'm a natural, remember?" she teased.

All he did was hold her gaze, so she frowned and then jogged to catch up to Stiles. They had barely made it up to the door when Stiles' phone began to vibrate again. "Scott?" Paige asked as he glanced at the caller I.D. on the screen.

"No…" Stiles trailed off and gazed back at his car. "It's Derek… Like a legit contact see?" He held the phone up and clearly Derek's name was printed on the screen. "How did he get in my phone…?" Then he clicked the 'talk' button. "Hello?"

"If I can't be there in person, I want to at least know what's going on," came Derek's voice.

"Control freak," Paige muttered under her breath. Stiles couldn't hear it but she knew Derek could.

"Shut up, Paige," came his response.

She allowed herself a smile as they entered the hospital. That smile quickly turned into a frown as they had rounded the entire building without a sign of anyone… but specifically Mrs. McCall. At the very least, they had expected her to be working. And if she wasn't here, something was seriously wrong.

"I thought you said she was working tonight," Paige finally spoke up.

"Look, ask for Jennifer," came Derek's disembodied voice from over the phone. "She's been looking after my uncle."

Well, that was the first Paige had heard of an uncle… except, it wasn't. Hadn't Scott mentioned that Derek had an uncle in a long-term care facility, badly burned? A flicker of a thought broke free… a werewolf in the same building where the text message from the alpha had been sent. That was too much of a coincidence.

Paige trailed behind Stiles as he turned a corner and found the room labeled "Peter Hale".

"Well," Stiles begn. "He's not here either."

"What?"

"He's not here, Derek. He's gone."

Slowly, she backed out of the room. Her heart was racing. Something was so terribly wrong. Something was inescapably wrong. Something was clenching at her heart and making the claws in her fingers grow sharply.

And then, there it was.

A man, half hidden in the darkness, half burned beyond repair. How could she have missed this? He would have been handsome, save the burns. When their eyes met, he smiled. It was disarming, almost kind, but made her shiver. Fear shot through her – up and down her spine. This was the creature who had bit her. This was the creature with the red glowing eyes who haunted her dreams and had made her into a werewolf. This was the demon in human form and Paige knew he was the alpha.

"Get out of there right now. It's him! He's the alpha! Get out!"

Vaguely, Paige heard what Derek was saying. It was a kick in the stomach, combined with the sight of the man…

"Peter Hale," the name escaped her mouth.

"You must be Paige," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "Oh, and you must be Stiles."

In the back of her mind, Paige could recognize the fact that Stiles' heart was picking up speed. She knew the feeling. Her palms were sweating and she couldn't breathe. Stiles backed into the hallway and dropped the phone – their one connection to Derek. But surely, he knew now that the alpha was his uncle and he was come find them – right?

Stiles backed up a few more steps, grabbed Paige's hand and twisted right around with every intention of escaping in the opposite direction of Peter – only to find a lady in a white uniform, a nurse, blocking their exit.

"What are you doing here?" the nurse asked, stepping forward. "Visiting hours are over."

Well, that didn't sound even vaguely psychotic, given the situation and how she was slowly approaching them. Stiles gripped her hand, but she didn't reciprocate. She was too paralyzed.

Stiles stuttered, glancing between Peter and the nurse. Then he just broke down into muttering, "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die."

Paige couldn't agree more as a whimper escaped her throat. But, she wasn't looking at the nurse. She only had eyes for the alpha. And he was only looking at her. He was looking at her like he could see every thought she was having, each pulse of fear pumping inside her brain. And maybe he could. Maybe that was all part of being an alpha and being a beta and it was just scary, scary, scary.

And then Peter glanced over her shoulder and commented, "That's not nice. She's my nurse."

It took a terrible amount of energy to pull her eyes away, but when she did she was overwhelmed with happiness at what she saw. Derek had appeared and knocked the nurse to the floor. She was generally always happy to see him – but this moment truly took the cake.

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people," Derek snapped back. Then he glanced at Stiles, "Get out of the way."

The boy cursed and Paige had a moment of clarity and the instinct towards flight took over. She yanked him into the doorway and down behind the counter. Slowly, she lifted her body so that she was able to see over it. There was a pane of glass and for some strange reason she felt safer behind it… Even as her blood thrummed in her veins. Being this close to the alpha was doing things to her body – wolfy things.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose?" Peter asked, coming closer. "One of my own family?"

Derek's only response was to growl so loud that he shook the hallway. Paige flinched down as she followed Stiles behind the counter. He launched himself at his uncle, only to be deflected and thrown into a wall. His body left a dent as he slid down to the floor. Paige gripped the counter, safe (maybe) behind the glass for now, but still so worried. He had said once that he could take the alpha, that that wouldn't be a problem. Why did it suddenly seem like he was underestimating the monster?

When Peter reached down and grabbed Derek by the throat to drag him down the hallway, Paige let out a whimper of sympathy. Peter's eyes met hers through the glass and she gave a giant flinch – especially when he smiled again.

Then he turned his focus back to his nephew. "My mind, my personality were literally burned out of me," he explained. "I was being driven by pure instinct." Abruptly he released Derek and bent over the unconscious nurse, searching her pockets for something.

"You want forgiveness?" the beta asked, swinging wildly. Paige hadn't even seen him get up.

Peter deflected him so easily. Each punch, each kick and then Peter flat out head-butted him. "I want understanding," he said simply. And then he kicked Derek in the chest hard enough to send him flying down the hall.

Derek was losing, she realized for sure now. He was losing bad. He had said that he was able to take the alpha. Either he had lied or he had overestimated his own powers. If Derek lost… would she be next? But – what did she matter? If Derek lost, he would be killed. Peter would kill him. She had to do something. Call Scott, maybe. Until she realized that he was half a town away and probably not anywhere near his phone. Who else could help? Not the police and Stiles was a human. Paige was the only other werewolf here. After Derek, she had the best chance against Peter. And he had changed her… why kill her?

If she could get him to stop, she could help Derek.

"Do you have any idea what it was like for me during those years?" Peter asked. Derek spit up blood; she could smell it even behind the glass. "Slowly healing, cell by cell. Even more slowly coming back to consciousness. Yes, becoming an alpha, taking that from Laura pushed me over a plateau in the healing process. I can't help that."

The beta jumped up and swung a punch. Paige was already around the counter and hovering in the doorway as Peter grabbed Derek's hand and broke it, his bones snapping in quick succession. He sunk to the floor.

"Stop!" she shouted.

Peter released Derek, only to kick him in the stomach so hard his body let out another few snaps and crackles.

"Stop?" he asked, finally turning to Paige. He looked her up and down and she tried to blend into the wall. Why had she thought this was a good decision? "Hm… I was expecting a lot more from you…" he murmured mostly to himself. "Scott was a whim and he has been rather… willful. I took one look at you – screaming like a banshee and rooted to the ground in fear and I thought, "This girl will do whatever I say". But you're just a scared little thing, aren't you?" he asked, taking a step forward. "Your heart is beating so _hard _and you're shaking…It's actually pretty pathetic." His gaze followed her up and down again and he announced, "Maybe I was wrong about you. I should fix my mistake. I think I'll just kill you. That should solve the problem."

She yelped. That was the only way to describe the sound that came out of her mouth. Oh God. Oh my God.

"No," came Derek's voice somewhere in the background. But he was still struggling to get to his feet. She was alone in this.

The alpha pulled his arm back and Paige followed the movement with her eyes. Rationally, she thought, _You have less than three seconds._

_He's going to kill me. He's going to cut my throat with his razor sharp claws and I'm going to die. What do I do?_

One.

_Fight back. That's what you do. You have claws, too. You have fangs, too. You're faster than you were before. You're stronger than you were before. You are no longer Paige Flanagan. You are a werewolf – a she-wolf - and you better start acting like it. Fight. _

_But how?_

Two.

_He's disappointed in you, he said. He wanted you to be a fighter. This blow isn't going to be his strongest – he wants you to fight. It's a test. Duck and slash back. He's aiming for your throat. Duck it and attack back and maybe he won't kill you. Do it. Focus._

Three.

Her ears found what she was looking for – the erratic thumping of Derek's heart from down the hallway. Her focus. Her anchor. Her body moved. The claws were out and her torso folded and she could see _everything._ Every pore in Peter's face as she watched his arm coming closer and closer and then right over her head. Her own arm stretched out with a well-placed slash and for a moment she burst with a bit of pride.

Who was this girl finally fighting back?

Was it actually Paige Flanagan?

No – it was a she-wolf who wasn't scared of any alpha.

Of course, Peter almost instantly changed course the second he missed, grasping her wrist and then – snapping it.

"Ah!" Paige let out, coming back down to earth, back into to her very human, very breakable body.

And then she was sailing – sailing right down the hallway to land in a heap. Derek's heartbeat was louder here and she realized vaguely that she had landed right beside him. He glanced at her with weary eyes – but there was a level of relief.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped thinking it was Peter coming back for her. But when she glanced over, she saw the fingers of the hand were twisted and bent and blue-black.

"Get Stiles and get out of here," Derek ordered, using his broken hand to push her a bit.

"No," she protested, coughing a bit. "He'll kill you."

"He'll kill you, too," was his simple answer.

"Aww," Peter cooed, suddenly directly over them. "How sweet…"

And suddenly Derek's mild push turned in a full-out shove – one that was hard enough to send her rolling a bit down the hallway. By the time she glanced back, Peter had already lifted his nephew and tossed him through the glass window Paige had just been hiding behind.

Paige shut her eyes tightly, gingerly cradling her wrist. He was right. If she stayed and continued to fight, he'd kill them both. And there was still Stiles to think about.

"Please be okay," she whispered, hoping beyond hope that Derek could hear her despite the situation.

And then, she pulled herself to her feet and shuffled around the corner to find Stiles. The boy was crouched, trying to make himself as small as possible. Without a word, she grabbed his hand with her uninjured appendage and pulled him towards the front door. The night air was kind to Paige, giving her a burst of energy she didn't know she had left. They nearly threw themselves into Stile's jeep and fled the hospital.

A few snaps later and her wrist was back in working order. Her brain, not so much.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Stiles kept muttering.

"Stiles," she whispered. "Please stop it."

"Do you think Peter will kill Derek?"

"I don't know… Oh God, I hope not."

"Derek's gonna try to get vengeance for his sister."

"I know."

"He won't stop fighting until one of them is dead."

"I know. Now please stop."

"And if what I saw was any indication, Derek can't win."

"Stop…"

"Peter is going to kill Derek."

"Shut up!" Paige snapped. Only then did Stiles look over to find her face smeared with tears.

The rest of the ride was silent.

But when they pulled into her driveway, Wyatt was sitting on the porch steps. Her brother glanced between Stiles and Paige as she hopped from the passenger seat.

"I've been calling you," Wyatt explained. And then Paige came close enough that he was able to see her tear-stained face. Almost immediately, he rounded on Stiles, stomping up to the jeep and nearly ripping the boy from his seat. "What the fuck did you do to my sister?" he demanded.

"Nothing, man!" he protested, throwing his hands up.

"I don't believe you!" Wyatt shouted. "First, you don't show up for the game, now I find you with my sister – who has apparently been crying. So what the fuck did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Paige put in this time, grabbing her brother's shoulder. Her scrambled brain searched for some excuse – any excuse. "He was picking me up, he was helping me. Please, Wyatt, let him go."

For a moment, he did nothing. And then slowly his grip released. "Where was he picking you up from?" he asked.

Her brain couldn't process anything. Wearily, she looked to Stiles. He was clever; he would figure something out. Stiles apparently didn't like being put on the spot – frantically looking between brother and sister. Finally he stuttered, "Paige had been up… seeing my cousin – Miguel. He lives like two towns over, really nice guy. Super nice guy. But they, uh, well, got… in a fight and she asked me to come get her. That happened. That is what happened. And here we are! I have to go now, though, so I will see you… tomorrow. Probably. Yup."

And then the sheriff's kid was peeling away in his jeep.

"You're dating someone?" Wyatt asked.

"I was," Paige sniffled. "You heard Stiles."

Wyatt's face softened and he held his arms out. Paige threw herself into her brother's embrace and buried her head in his chest. And then she commenced sobbing. The alpha could be here at any time, she knew. Peter would finish Derek off and come for her. And sitting here with her brother wasn't going to help that – if anything her being here was the worst thing she could do. If she were smart, she would leave town so that he couldn't drag her family into this.

Gently, she pulled away. "I really just want to go to sleep," she told him.

With total understanding, he let her go. He had had his fair share of girlfriends before and had had his heart broken as well.

Paige didn't bother to shower. Didn't bother to change her clothes. Didn't do anything besides climb up to the roof and sit and focus. She couldn't hear Derek's heartbeat anymore, but she could hear her own and that was close enough. She sharpened her senses and waited for something.

For the alpha to come and kill her.

For Derek to come stumbling down the road.

For the moon to fall from the skies and squish her on the tiles.

The next morning, she woke up in her bed.

Without opening her eyes, she pondered how that must have happened.

For the life of her, she couldn't remember falling asleep. But… she must have. And then someone had found her on the roof and tucked her into bed. The only people that were capable of finding her on the roof and transferring her to her bed… well, it was a small handful.

Scott, who had no reason to come visit her… besides to make sure the alpha hadn't killed her.

Peter, who she didn't take as someone who would tuck a teenage girl into bed.

Derek, who was most likely dead. But… part of her, a big part of her hoped he had been the one to find her.

After running through every available option, she sharpened her senses… and sat up with a jerk – there were two fresh scents in her room, slowly fading. One was Derek – she was very familiar with it. The other was Peter – it made her shiver. They had both been there last night. Sometime. But, when? And had Derek been there willingly?

Paige dragged herself out of her bed and glanced around. Her room was just as it had always been. The only difference was that the pile of blankets on the floor was empty and cold.

And just like that, she was back in a big, empty house. Alone.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"I don't think you realize something…" Peter smiled and took a step closer to her. She took a step back and vaguely remembered when she first met Derek and he had approached her like a predator. This was a million times worse. "I'm not asking. I don't _ask_. I didn't ask Scott if he wanted to be changed. I didn't ask you. And I don't have to ask _him_." He pointed with his eyes and Paige followed his gaze.**

**In the doorway, a couple of lacrosse players were chitchatting and joking around. In the throng of testosterone stood her baby brother.**

* * *

_I must become a lion hearted girl_

_Ready for a fight_

_Before I make the final sacrifice_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: We got to see Erica's wolfy face! Oh lordy! Ha! I was so worried that I wouldn't know what it looked like before this chapter was posted and then boom! There it was! Super awesome! I was so glad for the sideburns – it keeps the genders pretty neutral with everything.**

**Great episode last night, am I right? Granted, I watched it this morning but it was still awesome.**

**Also, this chapter has something special for y'all. Because kissing is fun.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_I'm going out_

_I'm gonna drink myself to death_

_And in the crowd_

_I see you with someone else_

_I brace myself_

_Cause I know it's going to hurt_

_But I like to think at least things can't get any worse_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige dragged herself out of her bed and glanced around. Her room was just as it had always been. The only difference was that the pile of blankets on the floor was empty and cold.**

**And just like that, she was back in a big, empty house. Alone.**

* * *

The school was a buzz with gossip as it always was. As it always, always was. Apparently the golden couple had broken up and now Jackson was taking the new girl, Allison Argent – Scott's ex-girlfriend – to the winter formal. Paige had almost forgotten about the winter formal… it wasn't like she was going to go, but it wasn't like anyone was going to ask her. Once, when Jackson was pretend-flirting with her, he had mentioned the dance. She had blushed at the time and stuttered up a storm. Now, she probably would have turned her nose up at the human boy and walked away.

Wyatt had been especially kind to her that morning and had even asked her if she could give him a ride home after lacrosse practice.

"It would be nice to ride with you," he had said. "It's Friday, we should have a movie night."

Lunch rolled around and her head was in a muddle. When she entered the room, she saw Scott and Stiles, but she didn't know if sitting with them was an open-initiation kind of thing. Could she consider them friends? Or lunch-buddies? Or just boys stuck in the same situation as her? When Stiles waved her over, she let out a breath and seated herself in what she figured would be her usual spot.

"I was paid a visit last night," Scott explained before she was even fully in her seat.

"By the alpha?" she guessed.

"Yes. And Derek."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Derek was there? Was he alright?"

Scott's face darkened. "Oh, yeah. He seemed fine. Just fine. There's something you should know. He's joined Peter. Apparently Peter convinced him that his sister's death was an accident and that he's only killing people who helped with burning down his house." After he took a swig from his water bottle, he continued, "They want me – us, to join them. I told him no."

"Derek wouldn't join him," Paige protested. He just wouldn't. It was just something he wouldn't do. C'mon! Last night Peter had been beating the shit out of Derek. What could have changed so fast?

"He did. He defended him right to my face."

"Derek would never help the man who killed his sister."

"Paige, I know you think you know Derek. You probably even love him, but –"

"I don't love him," she interrupted. Where the hell was that coming from?

"Either way, I know what I saw and heard. I'm not making this up. It doesn't matter how well you know that man – he always has his own agenda and he will use you."

Her tray broke. She didn't even realize she had been clutching it so tightly. And then something inside her broke. "Fine. He's with Peter now. I believe you." She didn't want to admit it – but Scott had no reason to lie. "But I want to talk to him myself. Then I'll accept it." With a whirl, she stood, no longer hungry.

Pausing, she thought for a moment. "Do you think they'll come for me?"

Stiles snorted. "I'd be surprised if they didn't."

* * *

All day she waited, but if there were any werewolves lurking around, they weren't showing themselves.

Finally, she returned home and braced herself. Derek knew no one would be home. If he and his uncle were going to show up – now would be the perfect time. She was alone – she was vulnerable. Immediately, she concocted a plan. Before she even got out of her car she sharpened her senses and listened for any sign of life inside her house. There was none. That was… odd.

She busied herself with homework, with a book, with laundry. All the while, she waited and focused and just really wanted to see for herself that Derek was all right. The alpha was always a problem and always would be a problem. Her main concern was her friend… ex-friend?

But see, homework, books, laundry – it wasn't cutting it for her. And there were real threats out there, lurking and waiting and they'd attack soon. If it wasn't the alpha, it was the hunter. So, she practiced. It was something she had taken to doing with Derek was out running errands and she had nothing else to do. Standing in front of a mirror, she would focus so intently… so patiently. And slowly, she would change one part of her or another.

First, her eyes. She would watch her reflection's eyes go from an indescribable grey-blue to the bright yellow.

Then, her claws. She would bring them out, one by one and then retract them in the same order.

Then, her fangs. She would watch them elongate and sharpen and the first time, she'd thought it might look cool to run her tongue over one of her canines. Luckily, being a werewolf included super fast healing powers, otherwise she wasn't sure she would have been able to eat dinner.

And finally, her entire face. That was the most difficult. But slowly, her muzzle took form and her jaw sharpened a bit and damn, she looked like a nightmare come to life. And she really still couldn't get over the facial hair. Every image of herself she had ever had growing up had never involved sideburns. Yet there they were. And they itched like a motherfucker.

True, it was frightening but she had learned… these were her powers. This was her strength.

Plain Paige Flanagan, no longer. She was she-wolf. And she had better practice being a she-wolf, before the other wolves took her down.

Finally, it was time to pick up her brother.

Pulling into the school parking lot five minutes early, the way she always was, she put the car into park and leaned back in her seat. A face appeared in her window and she damn near screamed.

It was Peter – his face completely healed. But that wasn't why she recognized him… it was the glowing red eyes.

_Fight or flight, Flanagan_, she coached herself.

When he stepped away from the door, she took a deep breath to steady herself and then she hesitantly unlocked the door and removed herself from the safety of her car. If he had wanted to kill her, he would have done it. And even when she refused his offer… well, he'd let Scott live as well.

Out in the open air, Paige felt a little better about the whole situation. And then she felt even better when she caught sight of Derek just three steps behind Peter. But she only glanced at him briefly. Here he was, with the alpha. And that confirmed everything Scott had been trying to tell her at lunch. At least he seemed like he had healed from his ordeal yesterday – she hadn't gotten the best look, but he didn't smell like blood anymore.

"No," she said simply. She was overwhelmingly proud of herself when her voice didn't shake.

Peter only smiled his very gentile smile . "I see you've already spoken to Scott," he purred. "But Scott doesn't listen to reason."

"You want to keep killing people," she argued.

"People who killed my family!" he finally snapped. Then he pointed back to Derek. "People who killed his family!"

This time, Paige spared him a glance. He looked healthy enough. Any of his wounds from last night would have already healed. And that made her angry. So what? The physical wounds had healed and he could just forget about what this man had done? Did his sister mean nothing to him? No… Paige knew that wasn't true. Derek sometimes spoke of his sister – mostly in passing and he always frowned immediately after saying her name, as though he had forgotten that it hurt him to speak of her. In Paige's eyes, it didn't matter that it was an accident. Not one bit.

"You're with him now?" she asked. This time her voice did shake a bit.

All he did was give a curt nod.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._ She could hear his heartbeat. It was a welcomed sound, but now… she felt so betrayed.

Briefly, she stared at the ground, collecting her courage, before she lifted her head and repeated, "No."

"I don't think you realize something…" Peter smiled and took a step closer to her. She took a step back and vaguely remembered when she first met Derek and he had approached her like a predator. This was a million times worse. "I'm not asking. I don't _ask_. I didn't ask Scott if he wanted to be changed. I didn't ask you. And I don't have to ask _him_." He pointed with his eyes and Paige followed his gaze.

In the doorway, a couple of lacrosse players were chitchatting and joking around. In the throng of testosterone stood her baby brother.

Wyatt hadn't noticed her yet.

"I can change him…" came Peters voice in her ear. When had he gotten that close? She was too scared to move. The she-wolf was cowering. "I can kill him… I can make you kill him. That's the choice I'm going to give you. Or, of course, you could help me get vengeance on very, very terrible people." He spun her around. "You don't understand. These people aren't innocent. They did horrible things and they need to pay for it."

One gulp later, and she finally said, "When people do horrible things, my father puts them in jail. That's how I deal with things, too."

_Focus_, she whispered to herself.

When Peter's eyes narrowed, she knew what he was seeing: her eyes glowing a beautiful yellow. "Leave my brother out of this," she said simply. "If you don't, I'll kill you."

"Or die trying," Peter threw in.

"Or die trying," she agreed. And she would.

In the distance, the chatting was winding down and Paige watched as Peter and Derek shared a look and then walked away. "You're a bastard," she whispered into the wind. She knew Derek could hear her, though – her ears were still trained onto his pulse and it gave a little jump as she spoke. For added effect she said, "I hate you…"

Maybe she felt guilty. Maybe not. Either way, tears pricked at her eyes and when she felt one slide down her cheek, she pushed it away.

"Sorry I'm late!" Wyatt came bounding over. "Want to rent a movie, or something… Are you crying again?" he asked, pushing her limp brown hair from her face.

"No," she answered instinctively. "A movie would be great."

After some hesitation, Wyatt finally gave a little smile and then off they went.

* * *

"If you jump one more time…" Wyatt muttered.

"You know I hate scary movies!"

"The Final Destination is not _really_ scary. There aren't any ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, zombies, or vampires – but I guess that last one has been pretty much ruined by the media at this point, am I right?"

Paige sighed and stuffed some more popcorn into her mouth. "This movie has more suspense and gore to outweigh any mythical creature, I guarantee you." _Well, maybe not an alpha werewolf, _she thought miserably. _Those motherfuckers are terrible._

Suddenly, Wyatt propped his feet up onto the coffee table. "Oh… this is my favorite part – best death of the whole movie," he said, grinning ear to ear.

"You… are sick," she muttered, preparing to jump again.

And then, just as the pressure reached it's maximum and the guts flew everywhere – a noise distracted Paige. She jumped, screaming this time and even Wyatt startled into a standing position. But the noise wasn't coming from the TV screen. Someone was knocking on the window. Her brother got up to investigate before Paige could pull him back.

Would Peter come here to kill him? Even knowing that their mother was right upstairs?

"McCall?" Wyatt exclaimed.

"Scott?" Paige came to stand beside her brother as he opened the window.

The wolf poked his head in, glancing at Wyatt before blurting out, "Paige, I need you."

Paige looked between the two boys. Could she really just disappear into the night with some random boy while her brother was standing right there? It would mean too much explaining… but she knew that sound in Scott's voice. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong and from one werewolf to another, he had come to her for help. She couldn't refuse him, knowing that he'd do the same for her.

One deep breath later and she simply said, "Wyatt, I'll explain later. Tell mom I went out with some friends." And then she slipped right out the window. Scott took off running and Paige followed, easily keeping pace. "What's wrong?" she asked, when they burst into the forest.

"Jackson. Peter knows that he knows about us," the boy explained. "I think they're going to kill him."

"You want to fight the alpha?" she stopped dead. "Over Jackson?"

Scott grabbed her arm and said, "Peter is busy. It's just Derek."

Paige ripped herself from his grip. "Derek would never kill Jackson."

"Fine," Scott snapped, frantically glancing into the wooden abyss and then back at her. "Don't help me." And off he went.

Derek… what was he doing? What was going through his head? She wished she could ask him. She wished she could just corner him, push him up against a wall and demand answers from him. For some reason, he never truly divulged anything unless she twisted his arm, metaphorically. Physically pinning him should do the trick. And the only way that was going to happen… was if she followed Scott.

It was more than easy to catch up and Scott had the grace to not question her change of heart. As they got closer to their destination – the remains of Derek's house, she realized – Scott put a finger to his lips and rounded the house. Silently, she followed and they entered through a window on the second floor. The room wasn't uninhabitable, and while some parts of the walls were discolored by fire it was in pretty good condition. Actually, some of the furniture looked to be worn, but not fire damaged. And she could smell Derek _everywhere_. Old, new, every kind of Derek-scent met her nose. This was the room he stayed in when it was safe for him to hang out here.

She sharpened her senses and instinctively picked up on Derek's voice. He was ranting.

"There's no one here," he shouted. "And there's a reason. No one cares that you drive an expensive car. No one cares that you have perfect hair, and no one cares that you're captain of the lacrosse team."

Scott exited the room quickly and quietly and on habit, she followed just in time to hear him proclaim, "Excuse me. Co-captain."

Paige took in the scene with a heavy heart. There was Derek, gaping up at Scott – his claws glittering in the moonlight. Jackson was sitting on the stairs, and she could practically feel his pulse as it travelled from his body, up the wooden stairs and vibrated against the soles of her feet. The boy was terrified. Derek honestly had brought him here to kill him. "I'm a predator, not a killer," he had said once – and been wounded that she would think otherwise. Yet, here they were. Is this what Peter could do?

"Paige?" Jackson nearly squeaked out.

"Don't tell Wyatt," was all she had time to say before Scott jumped clear down the staircase without his feet ever touching a single stair. When he landed, he had already changed. Paige took her time, however, and with each step downward, she let another part of her shift.

Practice had made perfect. And she felt bad-ass.

By the time she was at the bottom, beside Scott, she was the she-wolf: strong and powerful and beautiful. And she would protect this boy with her life.

"You might want to get out of here, Jackson," she stated lightly.

Jackson scooted back a bit and she realized he would probably never make a fake pass at her again… knowing now that she could quite literally eat his head off. It almost made her giddy with excitement.

Her giddiness was short lived, however, as Derek growled. And there was the wolf to match the she-wolf. Only, his eyes were a striking blue.

"Move," he demanded.

Scott voiced his dissent while Paige just shook her head.

Derek glanced between both of them. When his gaze remained on Paige a bit too long, she frowned. Finally he said, "Fine. I'll kill you both."

Instantly, she fell into what probably passed for a defensive stance. She had never fought a day in her life and dealing with Peter was the only experience she had fighting a werewolf… except for the night of the full moon. She and Derek had tussled a bit, but that had been pure instinct. Maybe instinct would drive her now?

And then, the world exploded.

Paige briefly heard Derek say something, but all she was focused on was the bright light that had invade the room and swallowed up her eyesight. Throwing herself to left, she rolled and crouched by a wall, trying to blink the sunspots from her eyes.

There were gunshots ripping across her hearing and into the room. The metallic scent of blood filled the air and she wondered if she had been shot. But no – her vision cleared and she realized it was Scott. The boy hadn't moved from the center of the room and a bullet had gotten him in the gut. He toppled off to the left as well, and Paige grabbed his arm to bring him down next to her. The blood was getting on her hands, but she didn't care as she pressed down to keep pressure on it. She had heard that somewhere a movie.

"Paige, Scott." She glanced up. Good, Derek seemed unscathed. "Go!" He pointed out the back.

But the gunfire was still going on. He needed to come with them. Paige couldn't leave him here.

"Not without you," she shot back. Scott only grit his teeth.

"Get him out of here!" the beta argued.

So, she stood and grasped Scott's upper arm, dragging him to his feet as well. And then, she gave him a nice hard push towards the door. The boy didn't need to be told twice as he stumbled from the house and into the safety of the woods.

Paige, however, stayed.

In another world, she might have been scared. The fact that there were hunters outside the door might have paralyzed her with fear. But she was not that girl anymore. She was a she-wolf and she was not going to leave without Derek, the stubborn, God-forsaken man. He might have come here to kill a teenaged boy. He might have joined up with his murdering uncle. He might have told her not to get her hopes up because things would never work between them. But for some unknown reason, she felt like she had to protect him – like she had to be loyal to him. Maybe she _did_ love him. Maybe she was just a nice person. Maybe she had left him one too many times and none of those situations had ended well.

Either way, she repeated, "I'm not leaving you."

With a growl, the wolf pushed himself up, paused in case of bullets and crossed the room in a single step. He pushed her up against the wall and growled again. This time, she growled back. The wolves wouldn't give up their dominance. He tried to shove her, but she had already grabbed onto his forearms, so he just stumbled along with her.

Finally, he smashed her so hard against the wall that she felt her bones groan.

And then, his lips were on hers.

It was a short lived, gritty battle for dominance and the fangs kept getting in the way, but it was the best kiss Paige had ever had. One of his canines slipped and cut into her bottom lip. His mouth closed over the cut and sucked crudely at the injury. Paige let out a groan that had nothing to do with pain.

"They will follow you and Scott unless I distract them," he explained when he finally pulled away. He shook her a bit. "Go!"

This time when he shoved her, she allowed herself to be thrown. She met his blue eyes just once more before taking off out the back door. Maybe thirty yards from the house, she heard his roar. He was in pain, she knew instinctively.

Slowly, she allowed herself to fall to her knees. What had just happened? She had been watching a movie with her brother, gotten a request for help by Scott, took off into the night, crashed in on Derek trying to kill Jackson, gotten attacked by hunters, gotten kissed by Derek and then left Derek to be captured by the hunters as some kind of distraction so that she and Scott would be safe. Yeah… that summed it up nicely. But it didn't matter what kind of cute little mental package she put it in – she had left that man to die.

Scott! Shit! Paige focused on the woods, looking, searching for her… friend? Yeah. Her friend. He had been shot. She needed to help him. If she couldn't help Derek, she would help Scott.

With her nose twitching, she set off in the direction his scent was coming from. At full speed she was just about there – so close and then… her eyes caught something in the distance. A man, standing over… Scott's body?

Oh God, a hunter. A hunter had found Scott and finished him off!

With a soft growl, Paige acted on instinct and threw herself at the man. Her aim rang true and together they rolled in the dirt before she landed on top. Her claws out and ready to go (to do what, she had no clue, because in her right mind she never would have killed someone willingly, but this was the she-wolf and the she-wolf didn't question protecting her own kind) she pulled her hand back and… recognized the face staring back at her.

The vet.

Maybe she still felt guilty for when she had helped Derek kidnap him, because she instantly hopped off of him.

"You're Scott's boss," she accused.

"Yes…" He pulled himself up hesitantly and then brushed the leaves from his pants. "And you are…?"

"Scott's friend," Paige answered, not wanting to give her full name.

"Then, Scott's friend, we should help him." Paige glanced back at the boy to find a nasty sight. He was pale, feverish, and his wound was literally smoking. "Wolfsbane," the vet explained, going to Scott's side. "Can you lift him? You're a bit stronger than me." He gave her a friendly smile and Paige had no choice but to bend down and lift Scott up. It was effortless, but she didn't like the idea of having both her hands busy should they stumble into hunters.

Halfway out of the forest, Scott began to moan.

"It's okay Scott," the vet said. "You're going to be alright."

They picked up the pace and reached the animal clinic in no time at all. The vet whipped out his keys and opened the door. "Put him there," he gestured to the metal table. Gingerly, she placed her friend down.

Backing into the corner she had once crawled into in a fit of panic, she watched with trepidation as the doctor removed the bullet and cleaned the wound. Half her mind was in that room. The other half was somewhere far away, with Derek and the hunters and that kiss. She couldn't even appreciate the kiss because now she knew he was either captured or dead. And she had only just stopped imagining him to be dead this morning! She couldn't believe she left him there. It seemed, whenever he told her to scram, the consequences would be devastating. Last time she had left him somewhere to handle a situation, he had been persuaded by his uncle to kill people. Before that, she had run from the alpha at the school and left the man in a pile with a gaping hole in his back. She should have known better…

Suddenly, Scott spazzed. He took a deep exhale and jumped into consciousness. After he had a mild coughing fit, he glanced around.

"I wouldn't get up just yet," the vet informed him.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're fine, and your friend's here." Scott looked over at Paige. She tried to smile for his sake. Mostly, she was still lost in thought about Derek. "And I've given you something that should speed up the healing process," the vet explained.

"But you're a vet," Scott argued weakly.

"That's very true," he agreed. "And ninety percent of the time, I'm mostly treating cats and dogs."

"Mostly?"

"Mostly."

Scott faded out again.

"You know what we are," Paige finally spoke up. She tried to imagine how Derek would handle this situation. Probably with a scowl and his leather jacket. But Paige had always hated how her face looked when she frowned and she was wearing jeans and a hoodie.

"Yes," the vet replied. "I do."

And that was it. Because Paige couldn't think of what to say or what to do and she realized just how in over her head she actually was.

"He's in good hands?" she asked. The vet nodded and she sighed, "Then I'm going home. You think he'll be unconscious the rest of the night?" Once again, the response was a nod. "I'll come back tomorrow morning to check up on him…"

Halfway there, she remembered two things: she had told Wyatt she would explain things later and the nest of blankets would still be empty.

Maybe she should just never go home.

* * *

**Preview:**

**She pushed her cup of tea even farther away from her. "So, what's the plan?"**

**He frowned, but said nothing.**

**"… You don't have a plan, do you?" she finally inquired.**

* * *

_I hope that you see me_

_Cause I'm staring at you_

_But when you look over_

_You look right through_

_Then you lean and kiss her on the head_

_And I never felt so alive_

_And so dead_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: It's Wednesday and I'm bored. Don't know why I keep feeling like I need to justify why I'm updating early. I feel like you don't care so long as I update…**

**I'm super glad everyone liked the kiss. It hopefully makes up for the fact that Derek won't be in this chapter… next chapter, yes. But not this one. Sorry!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Seven devils all around you_

_Seven devils in your house_

_See I was dead when I woke up this morning_

_I'll be dead before the day is done_

_Before the day is done_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"He's in good hands?" she asked. The vet nodded and she sighed, "Then I'm going home. You think he'll be unconscious the rest of the night?" Once again, the response was a nod. "I'll come back tomorrow morning to check up on him…"**

**Halfway there, she remembered two things: she had told Wyatt she would explain things later and the nest of blankets would still be empty.**

**Maybe she should just never go home.**

* * *

It was past midnight by the time she slinked into her bedroom window. Gingerly, her feet hit the floor and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was home. She was safe. And after all that had happened, she was glad for the little comforts in life. Her comfort did not last long.

"Is that blood?"

Paige fell into a crouched position and faced the threat. Her eyes found it immediately in the darkness – her brother.

He had been sitting on her bed, but when he saw her, he pushed himself up and crossed the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Instantly, she stood back up and readjusted her hoodie. "You scared me," she explained.

Wyatt held her gaze, not buying what she was selling. "Is that blood?" he repeated.

She glanced down at her clothes – when had she gotten blood on herself? And why hadn't she noticed? Blood, blood, blood. Scott! She remembered now. When Scott had been shot, Paige had tried to put pressure on it in some attempt to help the boy. And then she had been the one to carry him through the woods. Of course the blood would have ended up all over her.

"Miguel gets terrible nosebleeds," she muttered. Stiles had used that excuse once, because Derek had had blood on his shirt. It hurt to think about Derek.

"Miguel…? That guy you were seeing?" Wyatt grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Paige, what's going on? What happened? Why did you leave and what does Scott have to do with it?"

A thousand different excuses flew through her head. A million different stories slipped around her mind. She couldn't grab any of them, though. Did she tell him the truth? Did she lie through her teeth? If Peter had nearly had Jackson killed for knowing about the wolves, what would he do to the boy he had already threatened?

When Wyatt shook her a bit, she finally blurted out, "A friend needed help."

"A friend – Miguel?"

Slowly, something formed in her brain. "No, Stiles. I had left my wallet at Miguel's last night and I didn't realize it. I didn't want to go and face him so Stiles was going to go get it for me. He got in a car accident and ended up at the hospital – not, Beacon Hills hospital, the one in Miguel's town. Scott came to get me because… the cops found my wallet in the car. They recognized the last name and thought that Stiles had stolen it and were going to arrest him, so I needed to go clear that up. Miguel was there and we talked and then he got a nosebleed." Paige watched to see if Wyatt swallowed her explanation. Part of her was proud she had been able to come up with that story – another part of her felt ashamed that she was lying in the first place.

But he seemed to buy it. Up until he asked, "Why didn't Scott just come to the door? Coming through the window is a little weird… and sketchy."

"Scott is pretty weird," she shrugged. Then something occurred to her. "Did you tell mom and dad about Miguel?" she asked.

Wyatt just shook his head.

"Good," she breathed. Less explaining to do. At his raised highbrow, she knew she had to backtrack. "It's over. Officially, very much over and he is… gone." She didn't have to fake the way her voice shook when she said that. "You know how mom and dad get about dating and stuff and they would have invited him over for dinner and he really wasn't that kind of guy and so I didn't tell them and now it just, it doesn't matter. Because he's gone."

After a few moments, he pulled his big sister into a hug. "Want some ice cream? I mean, girls like that, don't they? Eating ice cream after a bad break-up?"

"I just kind of want to shower and go to bed," she muttered into his shoulder. "But thank you."

He pulled away and gave her a sharp nod. "I know this hasn't been a great year for you so far," he began. "And I know the move has been a lot harder on you than it's been for me. But just know, I'm always here for you."

A smiled tugged at her lips. "I know you are. And right back at you, baby bro."

* * *

Her alarm was buzzing right next to her ear but she couldn't be bothered to deal with it. Literally – why had she set her alarm? What had been the purpose of that? Didn't the world know that Paige Flanagan was destined to sleep in until kingdom come especially after the night she had had?

Oh. She was supposed to go check up on Scott.

Right.

Groaning, she rolled off her bed, trudged to her bathroom and then stuck her face under the running water of the shower. With a sigh, she washed up and got dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt – which was one step away from formal for her. Her hair was thrown back in a wet, messy ponytail. Then out the window she went.

If the vet was surprised to see her return, he didn't show it on his face.

"Is Scott still here?" Paige asked.

The vet nodded. "He's still asleep, if you'd like to visit him."

Paige had just followed him into the back room when Scott jumped up. Half a second later, he glanced at Paige and hopped off the table.

"Welcome back to the land of consciousness," the vet greeted, only for Scott to sway forward a little bit. "You doing okay?" he answered, steading him a bit. "Maybe you should sit down, huh?"

And then the bell to the front door gave a little jingle. Paige had thought they were closed.

"Hello?" the vet called. No one answered and he made towards the door. Worry written on his face, Scott put a hand on his arm to stop him but the vet just shot him a reassuring smile.

Then, he exited the room informing whoever was out there that he was sorry, but they were closed.

"Hi there," Peter's voice rang out. "I'm here to pick up."

"I'm not sure I remember you dropping off," the vet shot back amiably.

"These ones wandered in on their own."

"Even if they did, I'm afraid we can't help you. We're closed," the vet insisted. Scott backed up into the corner and then kneeled down. He tried to gesture for her to come hide with him. But Paige had other plans.

Plans that were probably stupid and incomplete and not even close to a good idea but… Peter was trying to kill the Argents and it was the Argents who had Derek. And if Peter was going to kill the Argents, he needed Derek, so he needed to find Derek. So… her best bet to help Derek was, unfortunately, to join Peter – at least for now. Not that Scott wouldn't be a good ally… but his main motivation was keeping Allison safe and right now that wasn't the most important thing in the world – not when they were probably torturing the daylights out of Derek at that very moment.

"Well, I think you can make an exception this one time," Peter was continuing to argue.

Paige tuned the conversation out as she looked at Scott. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have something of mine," Peter was saying.

And just like that, Paige stepped into the room. Her skin squirmed as the alpha smiled at the sight, but she still stepped past the vet. "Thank you for the hospitality," she said, remembering her manners.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"Yes," she nodded. "I need him," she said simply.

Peter reached out to hold the counter's swinging door open for the girl and suddenly recoiled. "Mountain ash," he growled. "How old school."

Hesitantly, Paige held her own hand out but was able to touch the door just fine. And then, she was on the other side of the counter, right next to the alpha. Peter reached out and clasped her shoulder. "I'm so proud of you," he cooed.

"I'm not doing it for you," she snapped.

"Oh, I know." His hand tightened on her shoulder and she felt her bones shift. A yelp escaped her mouth but she grit her teeth and decided that she would do whatever she needed for Derek.

She just didn't yet know what that meant.

* * *

They got coffee.

Paige kept digging her left heel into the toes of her right foot under the table to remind herself that this was real. She was sitting opposite of the big bad alpha, who was gingerly sipping his cup of coffee. Her cup of Earl Grey had already gone cold. Peter was calm. Peter was enjoying this. She knew that Jackson had loved to watch her blush. Peter loved to watch her squirm.

"I was so glad to find that coffee hadn't changed much," he commented lightly. "Of course, that Starbucks place still baffles me. Cappuccinos, Frappuccino's, soy milk, venti – who knows what any of those mean?"

"A Cappuccino has espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk foam," Paige explained emotionlessly. "Frappuccino is an iced coffee, trademarked by Starbucks. Soy milk is the alternative for lactose intolerant individuals and venti comes from the Italian word for the number twenty. It's the smallest standard size Starbuck sells."

"Ah," Peter took another sip of his coffee. "You're a smart one… Good, because it seems Scott is truly the embodiment of a dumb jock. And even though Derek has a pretty smart head on his shoulders, he sometimes doesn't use it. Or sometimes he uses his… other head."

Paige felt her eyebrows come together in confusion. "I have no idea what that means," she muttered.

The alpha observed her for a bit with a little knowing smile on his face. "No…" he purred. "I suppose you wouldn't."

Her pulse picked up because she was certain he was enjoying his own little joke and she wasn't in on it. She pushed her cup of tea even farther away from her. "So, what's the plan?"

He frowned, but said nothing.

"… You don't have a plan, do you?" she finally inquired.

"When the Argents were here six years ago, we didn't pay them much thought," he explained. She could tell it pained him to talk about the past, but she felt no sympathy. Not in the way she felt sympathetic after bringing up Derek's past. "We were a peaceful group. A family. There are certainly packs out there made up of strangers who come together for a common goal, but we were just… a big family who happened to have some members turn into werewolves during the full moon. The hunters have a code – they don't hunt wolves unless they are adults and they have proof that that wolf spilled human blood.

"We had no one in our pack who would even think about hurting anyone. We didn't think we were even on the Argent's radar. So when the fire hit…" he trailed off. "We didn't track them, trail them. We didn't know what kind of hideouts they had secured here. So, I still don't know."

"You can't track his scent?" Paige asked. That was the logical answer.

"The hunters have a special spray," he expounded. "They spray it on themselves so that they can sneak up on their prey. They spray it on the wolf to nullify their scent. They spray it on the ground and suddenly it's like the wolf never existed – at least, as far as their scent is concerned."

Paige twisted at the end of her t-shirt. "If it's an Argent you're looking for, we should follow the Argents."

"If we had more wolves, we could track them adequately," Peter slammed his cup down. "Unfortunately, Derek is captured and Scott is making goo-goo eyes at Argent's daughter and so I'm stuck with just you. They won't be stupid enough to lead us right to him."

"Well, at the very least, their leader has to visit Derek…"

"But even that is up for debate," he said. At her confused look, he explained, "Chris Argent, little Allison's father, is the official leader. Technically, his sister Kate Argent should defer to him because he's older. But she has her own group of hunters that answer only to her. And she… She is distinctly a wild card. A loose canon." When he shot her a predatory smile, he revealed his fangs. "She was the one who set the fire. Did you know that?"

She shook her head.

"Oh yes… You found out about the necklace, right?" He didn't wait for her response. "That chemistry teacher, Harris, he was seduced by her. He told her how to light that fire and make it last. All he could remember about her was her necklace… the same one she gave to Allison."

"If you know it's her, why don't you just kill her?"

Peter shot her a grin. "Oh, I tried once. Mostly, to toy with her. I don't want to just kill her, Paige. I want her to suffer. I want to dismantle the family she holds so dear and watch her cry out in agony."

For a moment, Paige opened her mouth to argue. She wanted to remind him that that would be no better than what the Argent's had done to the Hales and that Allison had been too young to be involved at all and was innocent. But she knew he was crazy. And she knew better than to argue with a crazy person.

"So, you don't have a plan," she began. "How about a first step?"

"Well, if you're done with your tea, we're going shopping."

"Shopping?"

"Shopping."

* * *

The idea of shopping with the big bad crazy alpha seemed rather unsavory. Until Paige realized that his idea of shopping was to kinda, sorta, stalk Allison. Whether it was to instigate Scott into joining them or to anger the Argents, well… that was unclear. All Paige knew, was that at the very least the girls would think she looked familiar. At the most, they'd realize that she was related to Wyatt Flanagan – the boy on the same lacrosse team as their ex-boyfriends.

So, she steered pretty clear, lest she be labeled a creep.

"I'm not going to stand here and watch them shop," Paige informed Peter as they trailed Lydia and Allison into a Macy's.

"Then go shopping," Peter suggested. "You're a girl. You're supposed to like things like that. And," he trailed off glancing at her current attire. "You could really use some new clothes. All you seem to wear are those stupid sweats. You're giving wolves _everywhere_ a bad name."

Frowning, she stomped off.

And… into a section that looked promising. Almost immediately a leather jacket caught her eye. Of course… hadn't she been thinking about changing her wardrobe? Was it finally time?

Fingering the zipper of the jacket, she made up her mind and slipped it off the hanger and onto her body. Turning to the nearest mirror, she looked at herself. Her hair was horrendous as it was, but she felt fierce. Now, this was what a she-wolf wore. But… maybe _not_ with the sweatpants. Paige yanked her hair out of its ponytail and shook it a bit. Well, that was an improvement. Then, she grabbed a few pairs of jeans and shirts and headed to the dressing room.

Paige Flanagan was going to give herself a makeover.

Yup.

And maybe afterward, she wouldn't feel like such a poser.

* * *

Hands full of her purchases, and with the vague realization that her mother would probably be so happy her daughter finally cared about what she looked like, Paige went in search of Peter.

Only to find him speaking to Allison. Oh, no, no, no, that was _not_ the plan.

"Watch her a bit," he had said. "See what's she up to…" Which, as far as Paige was concerned, did not involve actually talking to the girl.

Without waiting to hear what the conversation was about, she slid right up to them. "Uncle Peter!" she exclaimed. "I picked out some outfits I thought my mom would like for her birthday. We can go, I know how bored you are when I drag you shopping…"

The look Peter gave her might have been capable of curdling cheese. But a smile eventually stretched across his face. "Paige, dearest, have you met…um?" he turned to the girl.

"Allison," she gave him.

"Yes, Allison. She goes to Beacon Hills also."

Before Paige could even open her mouth, Allison spoke up. "You sit with Stiles and Scott sometimes at lunch, right?"

"Um… yes!" Paige gave the girl a shy smile. "You're Scott's ex-girlfriend."

And then the speaker interrupted them. "Attention shoppers, the owner of a blue Mazda…"

"Did she just say blue Mazda?" Allison asked, mostly to herself. "Oh! That's my car!" And away she sprinted.

Once she was out of earshot, Peter scoffed, "Scott," by way of explaining what had just happened to Paige. "I have got to say, Scott, I continue to be impressed by you ingenuity. Just remember, you can't be there all of the time."

Paige glared at Peter as they left the store, but he paid her no mind.

"What did you buy?" he asked as they reached her car.

"None of your business," she snapped. And then she stalked off, hopped in her car and drove off. She hadn't thought to ask about the second step of the plan, but she was wholeheartedly not ready to deal with it. Especially if it involved hurting someone. She had promised herself that she would do whatever it took to help Derek. But could she live with herself if that involved bringing harm to another human being? Was she still considered another human being?

* * *

The next morning was interesting for two reasons.

One, she had promised herself she would style her hair into something other than a ponytail and she had vastly underestimated the time it took to blow-dry and straighten her hair. After skipping breakfast in pursuit of perfect hair, she realized how all the pretty girls stayed thin.

Two, she had a new wardrobe to choose from. And that was intimidating. And she didn't want people to think she was trying too hard. And she wanted to feel effortless and beautiful and powerful.

She settled on a pair of dark wash, hole-infested skinny jeans, sleek combat boots (which were apparently in style), a dark blue tank top and her new leather jacket. With her hair down and straighten, she looked like a totally different person – even as she slid a plain black headband into place to hold her hair back from her eyes. It was weird, but then reminded herself that at least her bra and underwear were still relatively innocent looking.

Neither her mother nor Wyatt commented, but she could tell that they were wondering what had happened to her. And while she was glad her family hadn't made a big deal out of her transformation, she was still worried about the other kids at school. So, she slid some sweats into her backpack just in case she had to change.

And she had every right to be worried.

They stared. That was the worst part of the whole thing – up and down the hallway, everyone looked at her. Their expressions differed. The conversations she overheard differed. Some thought she was just a poser. Others thought she had some formal event after school. One random dude thought she had joined a gang.

"Well, in a manner of speaking," she muttered to herself as she took a seat in her second period class.

History was always full of ass-wipes and today was no exception. Glancing around though, Paige realized she wasn't being totally honest. One boy in the front row was pretty sweet and the girl in the row next to Paige was also pretty quiet.

"What is up with your outfit?" some douche asked.

It took Paige a moment to realize he was addressing her. She floundered a bit before simply saying, "I w-went shopping."

"At where? The Badass outlet?" the douche's friend teased.

"What do you think you're wearing? God," the douche reached out to pull on the zipper of her jacket. "You look like such a wannabe."

She didn't think. About anything. But mostly she didn't think about reaching her hand out and grabbing the douchebags wrist and wrenching the appendage away from her and smashing it down onto her desk so hard she heard it pop.

Hopefully it wasn't broken. Either way, the douche yelped and he and his friend backed the fuck off and Paige didn't even have to open her mouth and waste her breath.

The class passed with relative normalcy, except for the douche occasionally flexing his wrist and wincing. When the bell rang, Paige stood up like her ass was on fire, because she really just wanted this day to be over.

"I think you look really nice," came a soft voice.

When Paige turned to find the voice, she discovered the quiet girl she sat next to looking at her with a small, quivering smile. She couldn't help smiling back. "Thank you," she said very sincerely. "With the day I've already had and probably will continue to have, it means a lot." She held out her hand, having been trained by her parents in proper manners. "I'm Paige Flanagan," she introduced.

"Erica Reyes," she slid her hand into Paige's but didn't grip it very tightly. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in the kind of ponytail Paige had always been famous for and her ill-fitting clothes hung off her body.

As the girl walked out of the class, Paige watched her go. She couldn't help but think that once upon a time that had been her, in a sense.

* * *

**Preview:**

**A howl sounded. To anyone else, it would have simply sounded like a wolf in the distance. But instinct told her exactly who it was: Scott. Why would he have any reason to howl like that? The last she left him, he was dancing the night away with the love of his life.**

**And then there was another howl.**

**Paige was gone in an instant.**

* * *

_They can keep me out_

_'Til I tear the walls_

_'Til I save your heart_

_And to take your soul_

_For what has been done_

_Can it be undone?_

_In the evil's heart_

_In the evil's soul_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Here. I did this. It's for you. Please enjoy.**

**I pink-promise the next chapter will be full of Derek-ness.**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_If you could only see_

_The beast you made of me_

_I held it in but now it seems you set it running_

_Screaming in the dark_

_I howl when we're apart_

_Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"Erica Reyes," she slid her hand into Paige's but didn't grip it very tightly. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in the kind of ponytail Paige had always been famous for and her ill-fitting clothes hung off her body.**

**As the girl walked out of the class, Paige watched her go. She couldn't help but think that once upon a time that had been her, in a sense.**

* * *

The rest of the day wasn't quite as bad as that first period. But lunch was still a demon in and of itself. First, there would be plenty of people of all different ages there. Second, there would just be a lot of people in general and therefore more judgment. Third, Scott and Stiles might not be too keen on letting her sit with them, considering she was hanging out with the wolf that was trying to kill Allison.

So, she would be sitting all alone in a new wardrobe that made her feel like a poser.

Not a good feeling.

When she dragged her butt into the lunchroom and the boys didn't immediately wave her over, she hesitated – before, "Paige?"

Oh, sweet, sweet Stiles.

"I'm sorry," she said instantly as she sat down. "He said we were just watching her."

Scott tightened his jaw, but eventually relaxed. "I know. It's okay."

"I'm not strong enough to fight him off completely," she admitted. "But if I can keep him from killing her, I will."

"Thank you," he muttered.

And then the Stilinski was speaking. "Guess who's taking Lydia to the formal tomorrow?"

"Jackson's ex-girlfriend? No clue."

"Me!" His smile was infectious.

"Now, now," she began trying to approach the conversation the same way she would with her little brother. Stiles and Wyatt were two so distinctly different people, but they were still the same age and since Paige was the elder, it was her job to indulge and nag and pester. Especially considering Paige knew what Lydia Martin could be like. That lady would rip Stiles apart. "Is this a status thing or do you honestly like this girl?"

"He's in love with her," Scott threw in.

Paige nodded, but before anyone could say anything else, a loud crash echoed on the other side of the lunchroom. Scott and Paige immediately shared a look and were across the room before anyone could miss them. But the noise wasn't the threat they expected it to be – it was a girl on the floor, covered in the food that had fallen from her lunch tray as she had fallen.

She was convulsing – having a seizure. And then Paige recognized the golden hair swinging back and forth on the ground as her body gave short spazzes.

"Erica," she breathed. Oh Lord, the poor, sweet girl. What was happening? Was this normal?

"Oh my God!" someone shouted.

"Someone get this on video!" someone else shouted.

Paige glanced around trying to pinpoint who had said that. A small crowd had already formed and it was only growing. Somewhere, she found her voice. It was probably because of the jacket, she decided.

"Back up!" she shouted over the noise everyone was making. "Back up! Give her some room!" No one was listening. And someone had pulled out his phone just as an acrid smell hit Paige's nose full-force. Even Scott was grimacing as he tried to force people back. When she glanced back, she realized that Erica had peed herself.

"Ha! She just pissed her pants!" some had discovered. It was the boy with the phone.

Red shot across Paige's vision and she wondered why it had ever been difficult for her to pinpoint a person she hated. Maybe that was part of being a werewolf – you get pissed at everyone because you're so much more aware of how terrible people are.

Her claws came out briefly as she yanked the phone from the boy's hand and crushed it into little pieces with her grip alone. Then, she jumped on the table and yelled with a voice she didn't know was deep down in her gut, "There is nothing to see here! Back off and give the girl some room! She's having a seizure and you are doing nothing to help!" There was even a bit of growl to her voice as she added, "Now, scram!"

And suddenly, she didn't feel like a poser at all.

Everyone instantly backed up, nearly knocking each other over to get away from the girl. In the meantime, they had at least made a path so that the school nurse could get at the girl.

Paige watched Erica be carried out on a stretcher and frowned. Her heart hurt for the girl, especially because she had been so nice to her just earlier today. Suddenly Paige realized why Erica was the way she was. A random person in the crowd had eventually mentioned that this was not the first time this had happened. The girl was epileptic and last year when she had had a seizure, someone had videotaped it and posted it to the internet. Since then, the already quiet girl had been even more silent and skittish.

But once the stretcher was out of sight, Paige tried to push the girl to back of her brain. There was nothing she could do for the girl and she had bigger and scarier things to worry about. Like the dance tomorrow. Like Peter. Like Derek. Like the Argents. Like… everything.

Tomorrow would arrive way too quickly.

* * *

"Find Stiles," Peter commanded.

They were situated in the forest just past the lacrosse field. And despite the booming music she could hear even over this distance, Paige was not in a dress. Instead, she had dolled herself up in a pair of combat boots, black leggings, a tunic tank that covered everything it needed to, and her leather jacket. And while she looked damn good, she was not dressed for the winter formal.

"I will stick out like a sore thumb," she protested.

Grasping her shoulder, her pushed her right out of the line of trees. "You'll only stick out, if you allow yourself to be seen," he informed her.

With a frown, she remembered it was pointless to argue with a crazy person and she stalked towards the school. Maybe a window into a classroom would be unlocked and Stiles would be… somewhere close by?

Paige clung to the shadows and tried not to breathe. 'Cause… breathing would totally give her away as she shifted her position on the top rafter overlooking the gym. She had found Scott – with Allison of all people. She had found her brother with some chick she'd have to quiz him about later. She had even found Jackson, asshole that he was. Stiles, however, was no where to be seen. There were balloons in her way, but even after half an hour she figured he would have had to move… somewhere. Was he even here? He had been too excited to bring Lydia – of course he would do anything to be here.

Well, time to admit defeat. Sneaking back to the lacrosse field, Paige tried to ponder what was going to happen. What did Peter have up his sleeve?

The scent of blood gave away his intentions.

Sprinting, Paige came upon a scene she had only ever visualized in her nightmares. Peter was crouching over a bloody figure and Stiles was kneeling and there was blood on Peter's mouth and in the air and oh my god, it was Lydia. For a moment, Paige had thought it was Allison and that she'd failed Scott. Now she saw that it was Lydia and she had failed Stiles instead.

"Just tell me how to find Derek," Peter was speaking so calmly as blood ran down his chin.

"This was _not_ necessary!" Paige screamed, suddenly shaking with anger.

Peter didn't even spare her a glance.

Enraged, threw herself at the alpha – any coherent thought thrown from her brain as her body coiled and sprang. Peter glanced at her briefly, probably just so that he'd be able to grab her throat properly as he tossed her clear over his shoulder. The force of the throw ensured she was sent halfway across the field, bouncing off the ground once and then rolling a bit. Paige couldn't breathe for a moment. Instead, she tried to focus.

Lydia's heart was still beating. She was alive. But she'd been bitten. She would be a she-wolf like Paige.

"Tell me!" came Peter's roar from down the field. Paige picked herself up, but didn't approach as she listened. Her left arm throbbed, and she tried to cradle it while it healed.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Stiles was shaking. "I think he knew."

"Knew what?"

"Derek, I think he… I think he knew he was going to be caught."

"By the Argents?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"When they were shot, he and Scotty, I think he took Scott's phone."

Paige tuned out the rest of the conversation. On five different occasions she had lost her cell phone and had to locate it. On five different occasions she had used the GPS in the phone to retrieve it. Had it really been that simple all along? Had Derek truly taken Scott's phone and been waiting for them to come find him? It had been so long! It had been two days he'd been locked up and she could have found him already!

Peter stood and paused to wipe the blood from his mouth. Stiles remained kneeling beside the girl he loved.

Suddenly, she found herself right next to them – Lydia's blood overpowering her sense of smell. "How long?" she asked.

Stiles pulled his gaze away from the injured girl. "How long what?" His voice was hoarse.

"Have you suspected that he had Scott's phone?"

When he hesitated, she knew she wouldn't like the answer. Finally, he muttered, "Yesterday, midmorning."

Anger disrupted her thoughts and she had to turn herself away from the boy. A day and a half. He had had the answer for a day and a half and had never once told her. She could feel Peter's gaze on her. He was proud, she knew. Proud that his little beta was getting angry and getting stronger and proving him right. And even though she wanted nothing more than to strangle the stupid little boy who would have allowed Derek to remain in the hands of the violent, cruel Argents, she didn't want to prove Peter right. She was a predator, not a killer.

"We're taking the jeep?" she asked, her voice hallow. She already knew his plans. These two days, he had become so transparent to her.

"Yes," Peter's voice had a smile hidden somewhere in it.

"I'll wait in the car."

She didn't even pay attention to the conversation as she lurked off. What had that day and a half cost them? What had it cost Derek?

When the two of them finally showed up, Paige hopped in the back without looking at Stiles. But, she could smell him. She wanted to rip him open – just sink her claws into his flesh and tear out his organs. When her claws sunk into the palms of her hands, she didn't flinch. But she did close her eyes and focus on her beating heart. Killing Stiles wasn't an option. Ever. And she needed to get a grip.

The whole ride, that's all she did – focus on her heartbeat. It still wasn't as fascinating as Derek's, but it did the trick.

They pulled into a parking garage and Paige followed Peter over to a car, continuing to ignore Stiles. It was black and for a second she thought it might be Derek's but then she called to the front of her mind an image of Derek's car and remembered that his looked a lot nicer. _Boys and their toys,_ she had thought when she'd first seen him in it.

"Who's car is this?" Stiles asked, ever curious.

"It belonged to my nurse," Peter explained. And from the scent coming from the trunk, Paige could tell how the vehicle had switched possession from the nurse to the alpha. Stiles yelped when the body was exposed. Peter pulled a bag out from under the corpses arm and shoved it at the boy. When all the boy did was gape, Peter joked, "I got better."

Paige rolled her eyes and walked off. No one bothered to wonder where she was going. Probably because Stiles didn't care and Peter knew she wouldn't go too far. She ended up on the other side of the garage, pacing. She didn't want to listen to Stiles protest everything Peter did and she didn't want to smell that stupid body. All she wanted right now was to know where Derek was. He was the only one in this whole cluster-fuck that she felt like she could trust.

In the distance, she heard Peter slam Stiles' head into the trunk of the car.

At this point, he deserved it.

When Stiles finally pulled up the information, she was on her way towards the two of them again and suddenly…

A howl sounded. To anyone else, it would have simply sounded like a wolf in the distance. But instinct told her exactly who it was: Scott. Why would he have any reason to howl like that? The last she left him, he was dancing the night away with the love of his life.

And then there was another howl.

Paige was gone in an instant.

She knew that howl, she knew it in her bones and now she didn't need Peter anymore and she didn't have to deal with the dead bodies and the dying bodies and the liars and the alpha.

Feet that had sprung claws right through her boots carried her out of the garage and into the open air. She didn't know if Peter would follow on foot – if he'd follow her and if he'd outrun her. But she didn't care who got there first – all she cared about was reaching Derek.

As she sprinted into the woods, she realized that this looked familiar… a bit too familiar. It was the forest that surrounded the remains of the Hale house. If she hadn't heard Derek's howl with her own ears she would of thought that Stiles had been wrong about the man taking Scott's phone. She would have thought it had just fallen from Scott's pocket during the struggle.

Paige had only just broken free from a thickly wooded area, into a semi-clearing when she thought to stop.

It would do Derek no good if she ran right into a trap.

That howl could have alerted anything with ears in the town of Beacon Hills and if the hunters already had him… they had to be close by. One breath later, she sharpened her senses and focused off in the distance. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for – guards, traps, Scott, Derek, Peter – she hadn't thought that far ahead.

But a great burst of light and Derek's voice shouting, "Scott! Your eyes!" was not what she expected to find.

Half a second later she was off again. That was a flashbomb like the one that had disoriented Scott in the house two days before. They must have escaped and the hunters were after them. They'd be recaptured over Paige's dead body.

As she neared, she tried to soften her steps without slowing down.

"Scott! Go!" she heard Derek's voice.

And there they were.

Slamming herself up against a nearby tree, she peeked around. Scott was closer the house and Paige couldn't smell his blood so she figured he was uninjured. Derek on the other hand was lying on the ground, groaning in the back of his throat and leaking blood onto the underbrush. And then she noticed exactly who the hunters were: some lady and… Allison.

The younger girl was approaching Scott, but the other lady was hanging back and watching. She was less than twenty feet from Paige and apparently she didn't know the she-wolf was there, hiding. Paige could be on her before she knew what was happening.

Whatever conversation Allison and Scott were having was abruptly ended as Kate spoke up.

It was now or never.

Paige couldn't help the growl that burst from her lips as she charged. The woman didn't even have time to pull her weapon as Paige slammed into her and tossed her up against a nearby tree. She groaned, but the second Paige had taken her hands off of her, she yanked her gun free of its holster and took aim.

But the wolf was already gone.

Sliding up behind a tree, Paige took a moment to focus. The woman was cautiously following the wolf, recognizing her to be the threat she actually was at this point.

"Kate, what was that?" Allison asked, and Paige heard her cocking her bow in preparation.

"Another beta…" the woman replied with a snarl.

Kate? Where had she heard that name before? Oh… she was Allison's aunt – Kate Argent. The one who had seduced the chemistry teacher and burned down the Hale house. That was what Paige was dealing with at this point: another crazy person who could very probably kill her in a heartbeat. Could she ever catch a break? No. She knew now that answer was no.

"Well, well, well," she murmured as she gracefully shifted towards the tree she knew Paige was hiding behind. "I didn't know there was another one… What a surprise. And a girl, too. Well, sweetheart, welcome to the boy's club, sorry your time with them will be so limited."

A small idea formed in Paige's head but she didn't like it. She knew she couldn't just spring free from the tree – Kate would shoot her immediately. So, she needed to distract her first. Yanking her leather jacket off, she mumbled a quick mental apology to the piece of clothing, and then she took a deep breath. Time to get to work. She threw her jacket to the left and after a quarter of a second she threw herself to the right.

Shots rang out, but Paige was too busy running. Maybe Kate had taken the bait. Maybe not. Either way she eventually realized she had been tricked and switched her focus on the she-wolf.

Paige knew this because a bullet pierced her arm.

As the pain exploded up her appendage – a kind of pain she hadn't felt since the alpha had bit her – she tripped and stumbled into a pile on the ground.

"See, I've always had a theory," Kate was saying to Allison. Her voice was fading and Paige hoped she had turned her attention from both the girl and Derek, considering at this point they were both injured and Scott was still perfectly fine. "Women make better hunters than they do wolves. It's just a fact."

"You… you said we were just going to catch them," Allison mumbled.

Gingerly, Paige shifted her position on the ground and lifted her head. Kate was in fact approaching the two teens. And there was Derek, still on the ground, his fresh blood concerning her more than the bullet in her own forearm.

"We did," Kate agreed. "And now we're going to kill them." Paige's breath caught in her throat as, in the moonlight, Kate's gun glittered. She pointed it at Derek without a passing thought and pulled the trigger. The recoil of the gunshot shook the girl and a strangled shriek broke free of her throat.

Kate Argent had just… killed Derek.

Abruptly, her whole world turned in on itself.

Who was Paige Flanagan? Where had she gone? Was she ever actually there? Or was the she-wolf the one who had always been in control? Did Paige care that she had claws and fangs and a snarl that seemed to shake her heart loose in her chest?

There had been a girl once. She had had mousy brown hair and eyes that no one really paid attention to. She had liked the comfort of sweatpants and t-shirts and dirty sneakers and she had hated going anywhere barefooted. She had lived in a big empty house that had sometimes swallowed her up in loneliness. She had liked to read and she enjoyed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

That girl had died, Paige realized.

That girl had been ripped apart by a giant wolf and had gone running into a forest and had died there. The body they found hadn't been hers. It was someone else. A she-wolf in disguise that enjoyed sneaking out of her house and running around warehouses and sometimes reading. She still had the mousy brown hair and nondescript eyes, but sometimes her eyes turned yellow and glowed with the moon. She wore a leather jacket and combat boots and didn't feel like a poser. And sometimes her house was still big and empty, but usually there was a sarcastic and stoic fellow wolf to distract her and guide her.

And now that wolf was dead.

Paige hadn't admitted to herself some particular things. Like that she wasn't Paige Flanagan anymore and that she wasn't able to ever be Paige Flanagan again and that she had a new life.

And part of her new life was crumpled in the dirt, dead.

It was time for Paige to admit some things to herself: she was a she-wolf. And she would protect and avenge her own.

The she-wolf roared so loudly that house shook.

* * *

**Preview:**

**The alpha came shooting out of the house, blending in with the darkness. Sharpening her eyesight, Paige tried to follow his movements. It was impossible. The only way she could keep track of him was by the people he knocked over. One by one they fell, until only Kate was left standing.**

**"Come on!" she screamed.**

**He appeared from nowhere, grabbing her gun hand and breaking her arm. Then he dragged her into the house. Allison seemed to be the only one capable of standing and she foolishly followed the predator and his prey inside.**

* * *

_Until I wrap my self inside your arms I cannot rest_

_The saints can't help me now_

_The ropes have been unbound_

_I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallow'd ground, and howl_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: It's Saturday. Boom.**

**Finished the Teen Wolf novel. I'm a fan of all the new head-canon (or just plain old canon – does the book count as canon? I don't know…) and I very much enjoyed it. The writing was so-so but the insight into Derek's life was very nice. So far the only thing that conflicts with my story is the cellphone. In the book he claims he doesn't have a cellphone but it's a pretty important plot device in my story… so, Derek will have a phone. Boom.**

**If you haven't read it yet, I very much suggest it. It's a great guilty pleasure.**

**Anyway – enjoy! Season one is finished.**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out_

_You left me in the dark_

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige hadn't admitted to herself some particular things. Like that she wasn't Paige Flanagan anymore and that she wasn't able to ever be Paige Flanagan again and that she had a new life.**

**And part of her new life was crumpled in the dirt, dead.**

**It was time for Paige to admit some things to herself: she was a she-wolf. And she would protect and avenge her own.**

**The she-wolf roared so loudly that house shook.**

* * *

The moon glimmered in the sky above and each ray that touched her skin made her stronger. Standing on legs that were more muscled than she remembered, clenching fists that were more hardened than she remembered, she let the she-wolf take over. She was no longer Paige Flanagan. She was never Paige Flanagan. She would not die looking like Paige Flanagan.

Immediately, Kate stopped whatever conversation she had been having with Allison. Her gun was up again before Paige could take more than a few steps. Her ears rang too much for her to count each individual shot that was fired, but when pain exploded in her shoulder, she knew she'd been hit again.

But she kept going.

Her prey was still standing.

Grasping the human's leg, she knocked her down.

A bullet flew by the she-wolf's face, grazing her cheek, but suddenly the gun was out of the human's hand. The she-wolf had swatted it away like a toy.

"Stop!"

The she-wolf ignored the voice she recognized vaguely as Scott's. But then someone was knocking into her and they rolled together and the she-wolf roared in Scott's face.

"Stop!" he repeated. The she-wolf bared her fangs at the younger wolf. What was he doing, trying to tell her what to do? She was older. She was stronger. She was his superior.

Scott grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked her head to the side. "Look," he urged her. And there was a man, standing beside Allison, gun poised to kill the wolves. His smell… Was this Allison's dad? Kate's brother? It didn't matter. He was a human and the she-wolf was going to kill him. "Stop or he'll kill you," the wolf urged.

"I don't care," the she-wolf snapped. Her voice sounded foreign to her ears.

"I care," Scott said. "Please, get a grip on yourself, Paige." He dug his claws into her arm and drew blood.

Paige? Paige had died. What was this boy talking about? She had never had a better grip on herself than she did at this moment.

"Think about your family," Scott added when the she-wolf made no move to follow his orders.

Her family… she didn't have a pack. She knew she didn't want to be part of Peter's pack but did that make her a lone wolf? No… she did have a family. Well, Paige had had a family. That was it. A father who was never home and a mother who sometimes was and…a brother. She had a brother. A sweet little baby brother who loved her and cared for her even though he was so much more popular and athletic. When Paige died, had the she-wolf lost the right to call Wyatt her brother?

Suddenly, she crashed back down to earth. Where was she? Where had she gone?

A tight coil snapped within her, and she lost the energy to hold herself up. Her shoulder hurt, her arm hurt, and her heart hurt. The claws she had become so familiar with retracted themselves in and out and in and out and Paige knew she needed to ground herself. A heartbeat – find a heartbeat, she coached herself. Her own was too erratic and Scott's was too foreign and like hell she was going to use the human's… and then…

She heard Derek's heartbeat.

He was alive.

Relief flooded her body until she remembered that she had bigger problems looming – like a hunter aiming his gun at her.

But then the man shifted his aim away from the wolves – up to the female human. Some time while the wolves had been fighting amongst themselves, Kate had retrieved her gun and was pointing it at them. But her brother was aiming for her, now. Maybe all the wolves would get out of this alive tonight.

"Kate," the human began. "I know what you did." Instantly, Kate glanced at the house. Yes, that was her doing. And now they all knew it. "Put the gun down."

"I did what I was told to do," she argued.

Gingerly, Paige pushed herself away from Scott and began sliding towards Derek. Luckily, Kate was too preoccupied with her brother to pay much attention. It also helped that she was sliding away from Kate, not towards. The girl wasn't presenting herself as the immediate threat.

"No one asked you to murder innocent people," Argent was saying. "There were children in that house, ones who were human. Look what you're doing. You're hold a gun at a sixteen year old boy with no proof he spilled human blood." It seemed even Chris Argent had stopped paying attention to the girl.

She took advantage of this and continued her slow journey down the hill. The closer she got, the louder the heartbeat. Good. It was steady and perfect and it meant he was still alive. Despite everything, he was still alive.

Paige had only just reached Derek's limp body when a gunshot rang out. For a second, she startled, thinking that they had finally noticed she had disappeared and they were trying to fix that. But no, it seemed Argent had fired a warning shot at his sister.

The noise disturbed Derek and he tossed his head.

"Derek," she whispered, cupping his face with her hands. "Derek, wake up. You have to wake up now," she urged him.

When his eyes flickered open, she couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. He glanced at every corner of her face and then opened his mouth. No words came out – a haggard cough did, instead. Panicked, Paige slid down a bit and yanked his shirt up, looking for the bullet hole. It had struck a few inches under his left nipple and it was smoking in the most disgusting way; the skin around the bullet crisp and ugly.

"Should I take it out?" she asked. This was a whole new ballgame for her – fighting, she had only just learned. Medical stuff… Vaguely, she wondered if her arm and shoulder looked like that… She hadn't bothered to look yet.

At his terse nod, she summoned her claws and then hesitated. "Do it," he croaked.

So, she dug her talons into his flesh, tried to ignore the sounds he was making, and worked the bullet free.

Once it was gone, Derek pushed himself into a sitting position. Grabbing her wrist in a grip that was way too light, he inspected her forearm and then her shoulder. "These are the only places you got hit?" he asked. She nodded. "They went right through – they'll close up on their own," he explained. But Paige didn't have time to be relieved.

Something felt wrong.

Derek was alive and awake and back in her sight and she would have thought things couldn't get more _right_. But something in her gut just felt wrong and when the hunters and Scott suddenly went on full alert she realized what was just so, so wrong.

Peter had arrived.

The alpha came shooting out of the house, blending in with the darkness. Sharpening her eyesight, Paige tried to follow his movements. It was impossible. The only way she could keep track of him was by the people he knocked over. One by one they fell, until only Kate was left standing.

"Come on!" she screamed.

He appeared from nowhere, grabbing her gun hand and breaking her arm. Then he dragged her into the house. Allison seemed to be the only one capable of standing and she foolishly followed the predator and his prey inside.

Derek stood up and tried to stagger towards his house in pursuit. It was slow going and Paige jumped up to steady him. "No," he pushed her off. "Stay here."

"No," she shot back.

With what strength he had been gaining since being shot, he pushed her so hard she tripped. "It isn't safe," he argued.

Jumping to her feet, she pushed him back – but not hard enough to knock him down. "Nowhere is safe!"

"It's safer out here, than in there. You won't be able to keep up and Peter will tear you apart – probably first."

"I'd like to see him try," she growled, her eyes flashing yellow. "Don't underestimate me, Derek. I'm a lot stronger than you think – than he thinks."

In the distance, Scott was already struggling to his feet.

"It'll be three on one," she tried, gesturing to the teenager.

"Three betas against one alpha isn't a _challenge_ for the alpha," Derek growled back. "Especially since we're injured on top of everything else!"

Scott was climbing the stairs and Paige made up her mind. She didn't give Derek a chance to argue – she just spun out of his reach and sprinted towards the house. He was right behind her and by the time they burst through the front door, Scott had fallen into step with them. Derek rumbled and tried one last time to grab Paige – but the smell of blood distracted them all.

There was Peter, standing above Kate's lifeless body. Allison was backing away and at Scott's urging, she fled.

It was a wolf-fight now.

Derek and Scott both jumped at Peter at the same time and he easily deflected them both. Paige tried to go low and ended up with a kick to her jaw. The wall smashed against her back as she was thrown against it and then slid down it. With pain-squinted eyes, she watched Derek approach his uncle again, only to end up rolled over a table. Scott jumped on Peter's back and got flipped over.

With a roar, Paige pushed herself off the wall and came at Peter swinging. He dodged and her claws scraped his shirt, but not his skin. And then he was quick to grab her wrist and twist her around. Pain shot up and down her spine as his own claws dug right down her back. In retrospect, she didn't know how helpful her leather jacket would have been, but she still missed it as she was then tossed aside like a ragdoll. His claws didn't just penetrate skin, she realized as she tried to move – his talons had broken at least two of her ribs but her lungs had been spared. There was a silver lining somewhere she supposed.

This time, when she was knocked down, she stayed down and willed her injuries to heal.

At least Scott was still fighting. She didn't know where Derek had gone, but part of her didn't want to know… and then another part of her needed to know. She quickly found his heartbeat, so she knew he was alive. Good. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to put up with having to constantly wonder if he was dead.

A shiver slid down her spine and when she twisted her head, she found Peter shifting. His jacket ripped apart and she tried to push herself up.

Her ribs gave her such a protest that she smashed back down to the floor.

Scott was grabbed by the giant wolf and tossed from the window. Peter followed him, but with a bit more grace. In the distance, Paige heard them struggling as she herself tried to push herself up again. Then, a car honked. A car? Why was there a car here?

Grimacing, she managed to roll over and with the help of the table she stood up.

Peter screamed.

The sound echoed in her broken bones and she almost gave a howl of sympathy for the wolf that had changed her. She would later tell herself it was instinct. But as she stumbled out the door to find Peter on fire, shrieking his head off, she knew the truth.

He was a living inferno.

It didn't matter that he had killed a bunch of people. That he had killed her in a matter of speaking and changed her life and bit her. It didn't matter that he would have kept killing. It didn't matter that he had nearly killed Lydia. It didn't matter that he had broken so many of her bones. He was a creature in pain and she still had a human heart and it broke a little bit to see him in so much pain.

And then, it was done. He was still alive, but not a threat to anyone anymore.

When she couldn't watch his body sizzle on the ground anymore, she stumbled back into the house.

"You alive?" she called weakly.

"I'd rather not be," was Derek's answer. He grit his teeth and pushed himself up. Paige grabbed his hands to steady him a bit. "There's still something I have to do…" He pulled away and exited the house on shaking legs.

Instinctively, she followed Derek outside and was surprised by the new additions to the group: Stiles and Jackson. She didn't want to think about either of them right now.

Her focus returned to Derek.

Paige was worried he wasn't going to be capable of getting all the way over to Peter on his own. And then when Scott noticed the older wolf approaching the alpha, she grew even more worried. Would the two begin fighting? Did Scott honestly want Peter to be spared? She knew he had a sweet heart but that was going a bit too far.

"Wait!" Scott interjected. "You said the cure comes from the one who bit you!"

Well… that wasn't something Derek had ever shared with her.

"Derek," he continued. "If you do this, I'm dead. Her father, her family… what am I supposed to do?"

The man hesitated. Paige felt his heartbeat pick up though, and she knew what he was going to do, even before Peter spoke up. "You've… already… Decided. I can smell it on you!"

His arm rose in an instant and then came slashing downward, across the alpha's throat.

Now it was truly done.

Relief flooded her veins and she fell into a sitting position on the porch. If she could just stay in this place forever, she would be happy. Everything she had been plagued by was suddenly at an end and she was free. It was a good feeling.

Slowly, Derek stood. She could feel his body pulsing with new energy and when he turned, she wasn't surprised to see the red eyes of an alpha. She decided they didn't frighten her quite as much on Derek as they had on Peter. "I'm the alpha now," he announced.

No one moved for a moment.

And then suddenly, everyone was moving.

Argent grabbed his daughter and checked to make she was all right. Stiles approached his best friend and gave him a once over. Paige was watching as Jackson shifted from foot to foot when Derek suddenly appeared next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he pushed lightly so that she turned and exposed her back.

Only then did she realize the state of her attire.

Apparently, over the course of the night her clothes had gotten torn up. For one thing, the back of her tank top was ripped to shreds and barely hanging off her body. Even her bra was no longer in working condition. In addition, small holes appeared in her leggings, stretching over her skin. Her boots were still on her feet – so that was a plus. Well, at least there wasn't a mirror nearby so she didn't have to see how badly her hair looked.

Gingerly, Derek's fingers slid down her shoulder, over her back. Butterfly touches made her heart race but when the new alpha found where Peter had broken her ribs, she yelped.

Instantly, he took his hands off of her.

"It'll heal," he informed her.

"I figured," she mumbled. Then she lifted her arm to show that it was unblemished. "The gunshots are already gone."

Derek's eyebrows were still furrowed, but he backed off. It took Paige a second to realize why – Stiles was approaching the two. And he was carrying her leather jacket. With a grimace, she stood. Her ribs gave the loudest protest possible, but she managed it without Derek's help.

Stiles held the jacket out, hesitantly and she swiped it from his hands a little too forcefully. "Paige… I," he began only to be cut off by the girl.

"Save it," she snapped. And then she pushed passed him. It was time to go home.

Vaguely, she heard Argent decide that the police needed to close the open case and leave Allison's necklace with Kate's corpse. She heard Scott say goodbye to Allison and thank Jackson for being there. She heard Stiles tell Scott that Lydia had been attacked. More importantly, she heard Derek's footsteps following her home.

They continued about halfway in silence.

"Not that I disagree with anyone being mean to Stiles," Derek began, his voice light considering he had just killed his last surviving relative. "I'm curious as to what that whole thing between you two was about."

"He knew how to find you," she replied tersely. "He figured you had taken Scott's phone but didn't tell anyone until Peter attacked Lydia. We could have found you yesterday."

Derek didn't stay anything.

When they neared her block, she finally spoke up. "You going to spend the night?"

For a moment, he didn't speak. She was worried that he was only going to walk her home and then disappear into the night. A large part of her wanted to fade away into the night and forget certain events for a brief time. A larger part wanted to not spend the night in her empty house without Derek. Sure, her house wasn't empty right now, but… it was the principle of the thing.

"My house will be swarming with cops for a few days," he finally said.

She took that as a yes.

Climbing up to her bedroom window was more difficult than she expected with her clawed-up back and broken ribs. But Derek seemed to sense her struggle and lent her a hand.

"Thanks," she muttered. Swiftly but quietly, she strode to the light switch. "Prepare yourself," she warned.

But all the wolf did was blink against the light.

And then she finally got a good look at him. In the darkness, everything about him blended in on itself. But under the harsh synthetic light, everything stood out. Frowning, she walked closer to the man. He responded with a frown of his own, which did nothing to improve how he looked. He had been scruffy enough before being kidnapped. His two days in captivity had caused some growth. That, and the shallowness of his cheeks as a result of being denied food for two days, had given him a more mature look. But still – the way he stood… it was too tense. It was too wrong.

"You look like a mess," she finally said, gesturing to the blood on his shirt.

"You're missing a chunk of your back," he snarked, yanking his jacket off.

"It'll heal," she repeated his words to him.

"So will I," he said as he sat himself down on her bed. Then he glanced around and noticed something. "You kept my pile?"

She shrugged, not wanting to talk about it, and then crossed the room to her dressers. One quick trip to the bathroom later and she was dressed and ready for bed. The next day she knew she'd have to bury the bloody clothes in the trashcan out front. But she certainly felt refreshed. Except, her sleeping shirt was rubbing against the open wounds on her back and she kept trying to pull at it and make it more comfortable.

When she came back into her room, she found Derek sitting in her armchair poised like a statue. A scowl was etched deep into his face as he looked out the window. For some reason, she just knew that whatever was troubling him had nothing to do with what was outside. His troubles were inside himself.

Without much thought, she crossed the room and sat crossed legged on the floor facing the armchair.

Derek glanced at her, and then back out the window. Five minutes passed in silence. And then…

"He was my uncle," he spoke up. His voice was tight and broken and he didn't remove his gaze from the window. "He killed Laura. On purpose. We left Beacon Hills because Laura had no interest in revenge – she just wanted to keep us safe and healthy. I had no thoughts of vengeance. Just survival. I wasn't completely okay with what Peter was doing, even when I thought killing Laura had been a mistake. But I was willing to do it… You see, there is a difference between killing the people who murdered our family and killing one of the last members of our family to get that vengeance. A big difference.

"Despite that, though… he was also my family. Didn't I do the same thing? Kill a family member to get vengeance for my family?" Paige didn't say anything. "And Kate… I should feel some kind of closure but I just… I can't. I can't even begin to think about the fact that she's dead. That it's all over. She haunted every nightmare I've ever had."

At this, Paige couldn't help but speak up. "You knew she was the one who started the fire…" It wasn't a question, and she didn't expect an answer so she just continued. "How? Peter knew because he tracked Harris – that chemistry teacher you tried to talk to." She tugged at her tank top to get it off her back. "Apparently, she seduced him into telling her how to light a fire of that magnitude. But… you never got a chance to talk to Harris. You knew before you left Beacon Hills six years ago," she realized.

His eyes clouded and she knew – she just sensed what he was going to say..

"I knew her," he finally admitted. His voice was thick. "I was an idiot. I thought, wow this hot college girl was interested in me… and I poured my heart out to her. I was worse than Scott. I was an absolute fool and the next thing I knew, my family was burned alive and I could blame no one but myself..."

Paige didn't say anything. Instead, she just crawled a bit closer and put her hand over his. With that, he _had_ to glance at her. His eyes were red – and not the alpha red either. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Derek yanked his hand from underneath hers and gruffly said, "I've never told anyone that."

This time, she simply nodded and tugged at her shirt again.

"What now?" she finally asked.

"Build a pack. Prepare for the Argent backlash," was his response. He glanced down at her again. "I'm assuming you're interested in being part of that pack?"

"It sounds like being in a gang," she quipped.

"A bit," he admitted. And for the first time in about a week, he smiled slightly.

"Well, so long as my grades aren't affected, I guess I'd be interested." She yawned and then tugged at her shirt a bit.

With a sigh, he stood and grabbed her arm to yank her to her feet. "That is the fifth time you've done that," he complained. "Just admit that this would be more comfortable." He twisted her around and his fingers found the hem of her nightshirt.

Paige froze, considering her heart was doing enough movement all on its own. And then, Derek peeled her nightshirt off of her. Instinctively, she lifted her arms to allow him easier access – and then mentally kicked herself for allowing him to strip her so easily, and then helping him to boot. She hadn't asked about the kiss yet. Would this be a good time? The second it was off of her, she smashed her hands over her bare breasts, hiding them from his view.

"There," Derek murmured. "Now go to bed. You need the rest." He threw the nightshirt on the floor next to her bed. "Don't worry, I won't look."

And then without a word, he turned around and removed his own shirt and slid into his pile of blankets.

The house wasn't quite so empty, she realized as she fell into her own bed.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"We have plans tonight," he informed her gruffly as he entered through her window. It seemed one of his errands had involved returning to his car and retrieving a change of clothes… and a shower.**

**"Good to know," she commented. "Interesting that it seems like I don't have a choice in the matter. What if I had other plans already lined up, hm?"**

**"You don't," he said simply. And that was the end of that discussion.**

* * *

_I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map_

_And knew that somehow I could find my way back_

_Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Oh Lordy, that episode last night! Ah!**

**Anyways, given that I really don't like when stories have less than 100k words, I've decided to combine season one and two into the same story. Season three, because it will have 24 episodes should be long enough to be it's own story.**

**I hope y'all enjoy this chapter – Paige and Derek have had their moment of physical connection (albeit briefly, while bullets were flying every which way) and now it's time for a bit of emotional connection. So, yeah. That's in this chapter. Hope you like it. Hope Derek stays in character sufficiently. Next chapter you'll get a little bit of Isaac and shenanigans.**

**Also, the lyrics used in this chapter are from my absolute favorite song by Florence and the Machine. Just thought I'd let ya know.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_And it's peaceful in the deep,_

_Cathedral where you cannot breathe,_

_No need to pray, no need to speak_

_Now I am under_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige froze, considering her heart was doing enough movement all on its own. And then, Derek peeled her nightshirt off of her. Instinctively, she lifted her arms to allow him easier access – and then mentally kicked herself for allowing him to strip her so easily, and then helping him to boot. She hadn't asked about the kiss yet. Would this be a good time? The second it was off of her, she smashed her hands over her bare breasts, hiding them from his view.**

**"There," Derek murmured. "Now go to bed. You need the rest." He threw the nightshirt on the floor next to her bed. "Don't worry, I won't look."**

**And then without a word, he turned around and removed his own shirt and slid into his pile of blankets.**

**The house wasn't quite so empty, she realized as she fell into her own bed.**

* * *

The next morning involved several revelations. One, sometime during the night the claw marks on her back had healed enough that she was able to sleep on her back comfortably. Two, sometime during the night she had kicked her blankets off the bed. Three, sometime during the night Derek had awoken and left.

… She really hoped those events hadn't happened in that order.

With a sigh, she sat up and glanced around. Despite instinctively knowing that Derek was not in the room and wouldn't be in the room any time soon, she wrapped her arms over her chest to shield her naked breasts. It was a Saturday. It was ten o'clock on a Saturday. That meant that her parents were at breakfast with some of her father's colleagues and her brother was still asleep. She replaced her nightshirt back onto her body and wandered downstairs for some breakfast because she was positively ravished.

Paige wondered if Derek was out running errands. She hoped he wouldn't be too long.

He returned by midafternoon just as Paige was finishing the last bit of her homework.

"We have plans tonight," he informed her gruffly as he entered through her window. It seemed one of his errands had involved returning to his car and retrieving a change of clothes… and a shower.

"Good to know," she commented. "Interesting that it seems like I don't have a choice in the matter. What if I had other plans already lined up, hm?"

"You don't," he said simply. And that was the end of that discussion.

When the headline for breaking news spread across the television that she had left on for some comforting background noise, she was quick to turn it off. All day they had been talking about the murder of Kate Argent and her ties to the Hale arson. Paige didn't know how much Derek had seen so far, out on his errands, but she did not intend for him to see anything while she was around to control the censorship. Then, she selected a book from her bookshelf and sat down to read.

"You got new clothes," Derek suddenly observed.

True, Paige was lounging in some sweats at the moment, but he had seen her last night and the new fabric in her closet hadn't taken on her own scent yet. "Yup," she flipped a page. "Peter informed me I was giving werewolves everywhere a bad name. After being a bit insulted, I decided to give it a try. I think it's an improvement."

Derek didn't voice his opinion one way or another, but Paige liked to think that just the fact that he had noticed and had wasted his own breath to comment on the change meant he also thought it was an improvement.

As the hours ticked by and chapter blended into chapter, Paige eventually thought to ask, "What time do we have plans?"

"Nightfall," was his only answer.

So, so, helpful – this new alpha.

Then he added, "Your brother is coming to see you."

And sure enough, a knock sounded on her bedroom door and before she could blink, Derek was out her window and probably on the roof. Paige allowed Wyatt into her room graciously.

"I need to go grocery shopping," he explained.

As members of the Flanagan family, they had certain chores. Paige's consisted of doing the dishes, the laundry, cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Wyatt did the grocery shopping, cleaned the bathrooms and did the yard work. But see, even though getting the groceries was Wyatt's responsibility, Paige often went because he didn't know the proper brands to buy and what Paige would need to make dinner. If she didn't make a detailed list beforehand, she would often need to go with him.

She glanced back at the opened window and knew Derek was listening to the conversation. It was at least two hours before nightfall – she could go to the store and be back before the sun had set.

"Alright," she hopped over to her dresser and grabbed her purse and car keys. "Let's go."

"What's that?" He stopped her, pointing to the pile on the floor.

"What?"

"Why are those blankets on the ground? Did you sleep on the floor last night?" Wyatt walked over to the pile and used the tip of his toe to kick it a bit.

"I…" Paige glanced at her bed. As per always, she had made her bed that morning so there was no way for Wyatt to know that two people had slept in her room last night: one in the pile, one in the bed. "Had a nightmare," she explained. "I got really overheated and it just felt better to be on the ground by the window." Without giving him a chance to respond, she grabbed his arm and pulled him from the room. "C'mon, I have plans tonight."

Together, they left the house and got into her car.

"How was the dance last night?" Paige asked, putting her car in reverse and backing out.

"Eh, pretty horrific, actually," Wyatt twisted the knob of the radio briefly and then leaned back. "My date ditched me about halfway through the night. And then everyone was flipping out about Lydia Martin and… well, I guess after hearing about what happened to her, I don't really have much room to complain, huh?"

"No," Paige muttered. Just what she needed – a reminder of what happened last night. "I guess not."

"So, what plans do you have going on tonight?"

"Plans?" Paige furrowed her brow as she turned down onto a rather busy street. "What plans?"

"You said you had plans," he reminded her.

"Oh – yeah, I'm going somewhere with –"

When she would look back at that moment, she would realize that she honestly had no idea how she was going to finish that sentence. Because, at that moment, it didn't matter how that sentence was finished. All that mattered was that there was a crunch of metal so loud that something in her snapped. All that mattered was that the passenger side door was crushing in on her little brother. All that mattered was that some asshole in another car had smashed into her defenseless little vehicle.

It was all in slow motion.

Her hands were off her steering wheel before she knew it, reaching over her brother and pushing back against the door as it caved in. But despite her super strength, she still failed to completely hold it back. Her muscles groaned and her arms snapped against the weight of the impact.

Brother and sister screamed in unison.

And then the car stopped spinning and everything came to a halt. Wyatt's legs were crushed under the metal – and the scent of his blood was slowly spreading through the car. Paige's seatbelt cut into her neck so hard it chaffed, and her arms sung with pain. She knew both of her arms were broken. But they were already healing… Would Wyatt?

Time sped up.

His heart was beating, his chest was rising and falling, but he wasn't opening his eyes and the scent of his blood was everywhere. Frantic, Paige ripped her seatbelt off with her teeth. Already, her bones had mended back to the point that she was able to open her door and observe the damage first hand. A van had smashed into the right side of the car – had run a red light and hit her fucking car.

With a desperate scream and her brother's blood in her nose, she rounded the car and pushed. She didn't even pause to see who was in the other car. It didn't matter. They had hurt her baby brother. And she needed to get him out of the car.

Flexing her body, she pushed with all her strength and the van skidded back a bit. Paige turned back to her demolished car and gripped the door. Once again, she summoned her inner-wolf and ripped the metal back – and straight off the hinges. Derek had once said that he could rip a roof off a car. Paige had proved him right.

The scent of blood spread into the air as the door was released from the car.

It was only then that Paige noticed it was leaking from his mouth too. A frantic cry burst from her mouth and she reached with shaking hands to grasp her brother and pull him from the wreckage.

Her strong baby brother looked so tiny, looked so fragile, looked so weak.

In the back of her mind, she heard the sirens approach, she heard the EMTs grab her brother from her arms and she heard herself being ushered into an ambulance of her own. But she didn't see anything. She didn't see herself be discharged when they found her uninjured, she didn't see her parents burst into the hospital, she didn't see the doctor explain that they couldn't stabilize Wyatt but that they'd try their best.

All she saw was the blood leaking from his mouth.

* * *

Night fell and Paige remembered that she as supposed to go do something with Derek. She had forgotten about Derek. For the past few days, all she had been able to think about was Derek and now he wasn't even in the back of her mind.

Her mother was alternating between sobbing and shaking in the waiting room and her father was sitting there, still as a rock. Paige hadn't been able to take it. So, she found herself on the roof. She figured it was the wolf in her that made her seek the moon. Or maybe it was the human in her, she really couldn't tell. No, she knew – if the human in her had been in any way in control she would be crying right now. But she had yet to shed a tear.

When she heard footfalls behind her, she didn't move.

Derek came to sit next to her.

"Stiles called," he finally said. "He and Scott wanted to come, but they didn't know if you were still mad at Stiles." When she didn't even look at him, he asked, "What happened?"

"I was driving. A van ran a red light. Hit the side of my car. Crushed Wyatt. I pushed the door as hard as I could, but it still wasn't enough. I pushed the van, too. Got out and nearly threw it off my car. Ripped the door off my car. Got him out. Ambulance showed up. I'm here." Paige was numb.

She knew she had to be, because she was sitting cross-legged on the concrete roof, her hands linked together so tightly that occasionally she heard something snap. Distantly, she realized she must have broken some bones in her hand, but she didn't feel anything.

"How is he?"

"Alive. For now. Both his legs were crushed. If he lives, he'll need years of physical therapy. There was internal bleeding. They're trying to stabilize him. He's in surgery."

The alpha didn't say anything, just looked at her with his soulful eyes. She could feel his gaze on her, but she didn't turn to look at him.

"Derek," she finally ventured. It had been an idea floating in her head when her mind visited places she would rather not go. "If… if things go sour… would you… would you be willing to turn him?"

Briefly, he just kind of stared at her as though he'd forgotten he had the power, or hadn't thought she'd ask.

"You'd want me to change him, even if it's not his choice?" he finally asked.

"He can't make anymore choices if he's dead!" she snapped, her voice shattering when she said the last word. For a moment, she crumbled and then forced herself to calm down. Crying now would do nothing. _Don't go there_, she coached herself. _This is all hypothetical._

Finally, Derek nodded. She could see it out of the corner of her eyes. Gingerly, he lifted his arm and then hesitated. Paused somewhere in indecision for only a moment, he made up his mind and wrapped his arm around Paige. He pulled her close and slowly her body relaxed itself. She even stopped periodically breaking bones in her hands – but that might have been because she was scared Derek would let her go if she started self-mutilating in front of him.

Neither of them spoke for a long, long time. Periodically, Paige would shift her focus and check in with the waiting room – listening for any indication that the doctor had updated her parents. Usually, she just listened to Derek's heartbeat, so close at this moment – right under her ear.

An hour passed before she heard the doctor ask if he could talk to her parents. Tensing, Paige turned her face into Derek's chest. He responded by glancing down and tightening his grip on her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan?" he asked. "I just wanted to let you know the surgery was a success. We've gotten the internal bleeding under control. He's stable – and should be fine. When he wakes up, you can go see him."

Paige sagged against the wolf in relief.

"What did the doctor say?" Derek asked.

"He'll be fine," she mumbled into his shirt. "He's stable and he'll be f-fine."

The tears came slowly. One from her right eye, another from her left and then suddenly she was sobbing. She didn't even realize it until Derek shifted his position and pulled her almost completely into his lap. And he just held her. He was her rock and her friend and most recently her alpha and she trusted him more than anyone else and she had no idea why.

But still, she held on.

She held onto his heartbeat, even after she let go and got up and went to sit with her parents because she knew they'd be looking for her.

She held onto his heartbeat as he left the hospital and returned to his house, where he encountered Jackson and added a new member to the pack.

She held onto his heartbeat when her mother forced her to return home to get some rest and she crawled into bed in a house that was empty, next to a pile that was empty.

But still, she held on.

* * *

The next day, she found herself at the hospital with Wyatt. He had woken up that morning but the doctors only allowed her parents in to visit him. By afternoon, she had gotten a chance to see him.

He was ashen and weak but that all paled in comparison to how distraught he was about the fact that he couldn't play lacrosse. Paige sat with him and held his hand and dodged every question he had about how she'd been able to get him out of the car. Her story mainly involved the lie that the other driver had backed up and the door was already falling off the hinges anyways.

Gregory Flanagan already had great plans for suing the driver of the other car.

By evening, his friends were allowed into the room.

"Paige!" Jackson came slinking up to her and for a second she wanted to slink away. But something… smelled different about the boy.

"Jackson," she greeted warily.

When he eyeballed her up and down and commented, "You're back to wearing sweats, I see. Good thing you look good in everything," she realized what was different. The old Jackson would never have taken those kinds of liberties with her after knowing what she was. That meant this Jackson was on the same level as her. Derek had changed him.

Sure, she was back in her sweats, but all the confidence she had gained in her new clothes was internalized. "I assume that you think you can say things like that because we're on a similar level," she began coolly. "You're wrong. I'm a lot better at controlling myself, and I'm pretty sure I'm stronger."

"We'll have to test that some time," Jackson smirked, and then entered her brother's hospital room.

Paige was just making her way to her car, deciding there wasn't much she could do for Wyatt by hanging around and that she had school tomorrow, when Derek came speeding up in his car.

Frowning, she glanced around and approached the vehicle. She stooped down and stuck her head into the window. "Should you be driving this?" she asked.

"I was exonerated," he explained, unlocking the passenger side door. "Just got the news today." She slid into the car and closed the door behind her. "They lacked evidence, so it's still an open case… but I'm free to do whatever I want."

"Like change Jackson?" she pushed.

Derek shrugged but neither confirmed nor denied it.

"I feel like you're going to end up regretting that," she said, glancing out the window. She vaguely wondered where he was taking her, but she decided to leave it a surprise. She had done enough pondering about future events last night.

"Why?" The alpha took a sharp turn.

He was fond of sharp turns. Especially when he was going very quickly. Paige gripped the seat, but gave no other sign that the crash the night before had affected her in any way, shape, or form. Truly, she enjoyed the fact that Derek was always so relaxed when speeding in his car.

"If you think, for one second, that Jackson will join the pack in the way you want him to, you're wrong," she said simply.

"Give Jackson one encounter with hunters and he'll come running back to me," Derek assured her. "He just needs to realize that he needs me – needs us. We're stronger in a pack," he told her, not for the first time.

And then the car jerked to a stop.

Finally, curiosity got the better of her. "So… where are we?"

"You'll see," was all he said as he got out of his car and slammed the door.

It was… the forest preserve. They weren't going back to his home, were they? But that wasn't the direction they headed toward, on foot. Paige easily kept up with him, despite the fact that she had no idea where they were going. Finally, they reached an area where the trees fell away and the grass grew thicker. She was startled to find two large picnic tables and cement grill situated in the center of the clearing. And this clearing lead the way to… a cliff.

Derek stopped in the middle of the clearing, but Paige continued forward until the reached the very edge of the cliff. Below them was Beacon Hills in all its small-town glory. She looked up to find that the stars were out and brighter than she had ever seen them. And the plump moon loomed overhead.

"Where are we?" she asked again.

"Each full moon has a different name depending on the month. January is the Wolf Moon." His voice grew louder as he came to stand beside her. "It's essentially a holiday in werewolf culture. Packs can have extended branches, sometimes – like families do. On the Wolf Moon, though, they come together to celebrate the power of the wolf. Every year our extended family would come together and come here. It would start with a barbeque in the evening and then under the full moon, we would run together and bond as a pack, in our true forms. That was when we would challenge each other for status in the pack hierarchy."

Paige couldn't tell if he was trying to control the emotion in his voice, but it wasn't working. This place had memories for him. Deep, happy memories that had faded to a depressed nightmare.

"Why did you bring me here?" she finally asked. She knew the full moon – the Wolf Moon – would be coming in a week and a half, but she couldn't imagine Derek having a large pack established by then.

"I wanted to show you this place," he shrugged. "One day, the pack will be bigger. Stronger. It won't just be you and me and maybe Jackson and maybe Scott. When that time comes, I want to celebrate the Wolf Moon again."

He was realizing everyone was gone. Everyone in Beacon Hills who would have known what the Wolf Moon was had died. He was the only one left to carry those memories and maybe the burden was crushing him or maybe he just thought it would make her feel more like part of his pack, but he had chosen to share those memories. It made Paige smile. She liked knowing bits about werewolves and werewolf culture and while living with the man had enabled her to ask some questions and get some answers, this little bit of information wasn't something he had ever shared. It made her feel like more of a werewolf and less of a human who was sometimes a wolf.

"I love barbeques," she eventually admitted.

When Derek returned her smile, she knew he was as hopeful for the future as she was.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Chris Argent is in a car outside my house," she explained. Then she pointed a finger at him. "Also, I know you have a cellphone and I demand to know your number so that I don't have to run halfway across town to get you."**

* * *

_And it's breaking over me,_

_A thousand miles down to the seabed,_

_Found the place to rest my head._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: So… this story has exactly 100 reviews. I think that's pretty awesome. I think y'all are pretty awesome. So I thought I'd reward you with some romance-ish stuff. Next chapter is more filler-ish and so I might pop that up pretty quickly so that I can move on and give you the chapter after that one… which has some physical shenanigans – hence the Mature rating.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**And thank you so much, everyone!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Between two lungs it was released_

_The breath that captured me_

_The sigh that blew me forward_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"I love barbeques," she eventually admitted.**

**When Derek returned her smile, she knew he was as hopeful for the future as she was.**

* * *

A week passed unnoticed and Paige had to say, she was glad for the lack of drama. No one was dying. No one was captured. No one was out of their mind with a case of the crazies. It was a heaven on earth. Paige had even gotten used to wearing the leather jacket shamelessly.

Wyatt had been returned home – still on bed rest, though. He'd be allowed to return to school the following week, but he'd be in a wheel chair. Which he hated. Terribly. For now, Paige collected his homework and his teachers called him to answer any questions he had on the assignment. Due to Wyatt being home, Derek had taken to hanging out in other places. Paige missed him, but if it meant having her brother home… she guessed it was all right.

And then… Lydia went missing from the hospital.

Still not talking to Stiles, Paige had heard from Scott in passing that Stiles had been essentially stalking the poor girl at the hospital whenever he had a chance. Paige knew the girl was fine – the boys and Derek had both checked in on her to see what the bite had done to her. Apparently, nothing. Derek had been baffled and frustrated, but eventually accepted it.

There wasn't much else he could do.

* * *

"They've booby-trapped my house," Derek announced as Paige slipped out to meet him on the roof of her home.

"Booby-trapped?"

"Booby-trapped. There are trip lines and nets," he huffed. "I can't go back there. I'll have to find a new place to go. And I'll have to warn Scott and Jackson not to wander over there either. I think Scott already managed to find his way there, though. His scent was all over the place. And Stiles. And Allison."

"Do you know where you'll go?"

"Not yet. There are a few places I know of that might work," he said. "When I find a good spot, I'll tell you. We need to start training."

"…Training?" she blinked at the man.

"Are you just going to repeat everything I say as a question?" he asked.

"Not if you tell me something that doesn't leave me a bit speechless," she shot back, blushing a little. "Okay. Training. What about it?"

"The hunters are coming. Something is wrong…" Derek trailed off. "I stopped by Kate's funeral," he admitted. "Her father was there – Allison's grandfather. I think he intends to stay in Beacon Hills. And if he does, he'll bring a lot more hunters with him."

"But more hunters are only a problem if we break the code," she tried to argue.

He shot her a disbelieving look. "Kate was the way she was for a reason," was all he said on the matter. "You need to know how to fight."

"I can fight," she protested.

Again with the disbelieving looks…

"You can throw a few punches," he allowed. "But usually only when you let your wolf completely take over. I need you to know how to fight – like a werewolf, not just a wolf. You need to know how to move like a wolf and think like a human and fight like a werewolf. You have very good control – especially for someone your age. And you're pretty strong but you haven't reached your full potential yet – not even close."

"Fine," Paige crossed her arms. "But only if it doesn't interfere with my schooling."

"You are the biggest nerd ever."

"I prefer the term "academically aware", just so you know."

"Which is code for nerd."

"You… suck."

* * *

At school, that was all anyone could talk about. Lydia Martin was running around naked. In the lunchroom, Paige glanced around.

She had taken to sitting with, of all people, Erica Reyes. She'd only known the girl for a little over a week, but considering that she was still pissed as all hell with Stiles, the quiet girl was a good alternative.

"The poor girl," Erica muttered as Paige sat down next to her. The hand that held her fork was shaking a bit and she was slumped in the same way that she always was.

"I know," Paige nodded and dug into her food.

"I hope they find her before nightfall," she commented. "It's supposed to get really cold tonight."

"I'm from Chicago," Paige reminded Erica. "Y'all don't know cold till you've survived a midwestern winter."

Erica shot the other girl a shy smile and then returned to her food.

* * *

When Derek swung into her room that night, she expected him to know all about Lydia's disappearance.

He had been informed, of course, but he had news of his own.

"I was right," he growled. "The hunters are here to stay. There was an omega running around last night looking for me. The hunters caught him and killed him."

"What?" Paige shut her notebook in shock. Homework could wait.

Derek nodded. "He got caught in one of those goddamned booby-traps and Gerard Argent – Kate's father – cut him in half." He sat down in the armchair with a huff. "At least Scott was there. He was able to see first hand the kind of cruelty the Argents are capable of. I need to make this pack bigger, and soon - or else they'll track us down and kill us."

"They know where I live," she realized, fear spiking against her spine.

At that, Derek turned to look at her.

"Chris Argent saw me that night. All he'd have to do is ask Allison who I was and my address is public record. They know where I live," she finally repeated.

"He also knew Scott personally, but as far as I know, he hasn't told Gerard anything. You're safe for now," he assured her. She wasn't very assured. "And if or when that changes, the pack will be big enough to protect you. I just need to make it bigger. Make it stronger." He frowned at her wall.

"Well, you have me – for what it's worth. And Scott. And Jackson."

"No," Derek shook his head. "There's something else – I checked up on Jackson today. He's rejecting the bite." Paige didn't even have the ability to her open her mouth. "His body is leaking black blood and I have no idea why."

Paige sat in silence before she asked in a hushed voice, "Will he die?"

The alpha looked everywhere except her eyes. "I don't know." And with that the conversation dropped. Only for him to drop another bomb. "I changed someone last night."

"What?" That made her sit up straighter. Jesus Christ – why did all the drama happen when she wasn't paying any attention?

He nodded. "I was tracking what I thought was the omega two nights ago and stumbled on a kid. He's on the lacrosse team at the high school – your brother probably knows him. His name's Isaac Lahey. He was digging a grave for the funeral and the omega must have pushed his bulldozer over – the kid fell into the grave. I got him out. He seemed strong enough and so we got to talking. He said he had to think about it and then came to visit last night. And unlike Scott and Jackson, he intends to actually act as a pack member. So, at least there's one more of us."

Paige nodded before she realized, "You said "came to visit"? Where?"

"I found a new place to stay," Derek informed her. "It's on Robey Avenue, an abandoned subway construction site. Beacon Hills shut down their subways a decade ago when the recession hit. If you need me, that's where I'll be. Just sniff me out." He stood and brushed his pants off.

"If you need me, I'll be here," she quipped, a little disappointed to see him go. "Just sniff me out."

"I'm serious. If anything comes up, come get me. I'm your alpha, that's my job."

It was her turn to shoot him a disbelieving look. "I'd like to believe that even if you weren't my alpha, you'd still help me."

Derek held her gaze for an uncomfortable amount of time. And then he nodded. "Yes, I would." And then out the window he went.

* * *

Paige finished up her research paper just as the clock struck eight. It was time to reward herself with some ice cream, she decided. With one bowl of mint chocolate chip in hand, she climbed up to her roof to chill. While she had never been overly fond of TV, becoming a werewolf had made her even less inclined to turning on the tube considering the transformation had exposed her to more things than her imagination could handle. So, sometimes she just preferred to be in her own little world, in a place she was newly allowed to get to – her roof..

But, halfway through her bowl, she noticed the car parked across the street. It was past the legal hours to park there… and then she realized that someone was in the car.

Squinting, she got a better look… it was Chris Argent.

There was a hunter parked outside her house and she was on her roof like a sitting duck. Without finishing her bowl of ice cream, she climbed back into her window and tried to calm herself. It was moments like this when she wished Derek had a cell phone, before remembering that he did, before scolding herself for never getting the number.

Okay… Robey Avenue. She could get there.

Grabbing her jacket, she snuck out the back and kept her pace acceptably human-like. Then she doubled back a bit to throw anyone off of her scent and finally arrived at the site. It was ominous. But really – what did she expect from her alpha? Honestly?

Relaxing, she sharpened her senses and caught a whiff of what she was looking for: campfire and aftershave and worn leather.

Down a dirt hill, there was a small building and a door. When she gingerly yanked it open, she revealed a set of stairs that led downwards, into the earth. This was truly a forgotten place. But at least, Paige realized, Derek wouldn't be plagued by the ghosts of his family here. This was just an abandoned subway station.

"Derek?" she called as she descended the stairs.

There was a rustling and Paige finally took a look at the place. There was the staircase… and then some large shelves and beams and barrels and… a… train car? That made sense, being that this was a subway station but…images of the boxcar children book series popped through her head as Derek immerged from the car with an apprehensive look.

His eyes worked their way up and down, assessing her for damage. "What's wrong?"

"Chris Argent is in a car outside my house," she explained. Then she pointed a finger at him. "Also, I know you have a cellphone and I demand to know your number so that I don't have to run halfway across town to get you."

"Were you followed?"

"No," she scoffed.

Derek gave her another assessing look, before leaning against his train car. "So he was just sitting there?"

"Yes. I don't know for how long or why. Any ideas?"

"None," he shook his head. Then he pushed himself up. "You're not staying there tonight, though. Even if he was just watching the house."

"But what if he attacks the house? My parents are in there. My brother, who _can't_ _walk_ is in that house."

"Chris Argent isn't the type," he explained. "I don't trust him – not by a long shot. But he won't attack your family unless he had a very good reason to."

"But you don't want _me_ there… because…?" It just didn't make sense that Derek would want her safely away from her house when he was saying that the hunters wouldn't attack it. And quite frankly, if it was going to be attacked she wanted to be there to defend her family and she wanted her alpha to be there to help her.

"Because if he's out there waiting to get you alone, I'm not going to send you back there alone." He waved a hand at her, gesturing her to follow him. "C'mon," he said as he entered his train car.

"I have a joke about the boxcar children books if you want to hear it," she muttered angrily. But she followed regardless. Maybe this was for the best.

"No thanks. Your jokes are never very good," he threw back.

It looked very much like a standard subway car once she walked into it. But as she followed Derek into the adjoining car, she realized that this was the one he had gutted. There was a mattress on the floor and a leather trunk full of – if her senses didn't lie – clothing. In addition there were a few books on the floor and a lantern. She wondered vaguely if he had been keeping this stuff at his house or in the trunk of his car before now.

Glancing at her again, Derek strode over to the trunk and pulled out a t-shirt of his. He tossed it at her. "You can wear that," he said simply.

"What?" she asked, looking down at it full of confusion. Not that she would mind wearing it – it smelled like Derek.

"You can't very well sleep in those clothes," he informed her, gesturing to her skinny jeans, tank top and leather jacket.

"I never gave you any pajamas when you slept over," she protested.

"I never asked for any."

"I never asked for any, either."

Derek just turned around and took off his shirt. "Go to bed. You have a test tomorrow," he reminded her.

"That's not a factor in this equation. It has nothing to do with… wait. How do you know that?" Her hand tightened around the shirt.

When he made no move to say anything, she wadded the shirt up into a ball and chucked it at him. Of course, he caught it and sighed. "I forgot it was so close to the full moon," he muttered.

"What does that have to do with you knowing things about my life that not even my parents know?"

"The closer to the full moon, the more testy the wolf," he shot back. "And to be fair, your parents don't really take the time to know that much about you to begin with."

There was a book close to her feet. It was the closet thing to her that was portable. She snatched it up and threw it without entirely thinking it through. "Don't talk about my parents like that!" she shouted.

Of course, he caught the projectile again.

"You need to calm down," he said with a bit of a growl to his voice.

Paige opened her mouth but the sound of that oh-so-hidden door bursting open distracted both of them. The frantic call of "Derek!" followed. Before either of them could respond, whoever it was came sprinting into the train car.

"Derek!" he repeated.

Only then did Paige realize that this must be Isaac Lahey, their newest addition. She couldn't say she recognized him, but she didn't often attend Wyatt's lacrosse games and more often than not, the players were parading around in their dinky little helmets, making them unidentifiable.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked, pushing past Paige a bit.

"My dad," the boy began, panting for breath. "I think he's dead."

Paige felt her heart clench. What if the hunters had found out about Isaac as well and sent someone to attack his house and now his dad was dead and maybe they were attacking her house as they spoke?

"What did you do?" the alpha was quick to accuse.

"That's the thing," Isaac said. "It wasn't me."

"Then who was it?" Paige spoke up from behind Derek's shoulder. She needed to know if her family was okay.

"It wasn't a "who". It was a "what" and I didn't see it." Isaac was shaking so badly. Knowing suddenly that it hadn't been hunters was enough to bring her back down to earth. And it occurred to Paige that he was her brother's age. How would she handle this situation if it was her baby brother Wyatt?

Pushing past Derek in a fashion similar to how he pushed past her, she reached out to grab Isaac by the shoulder. He flinched and Paige paused. Instead, she retracted her hand and said in the calmest voice possible, "Start from the beginning."

Isaac looked up at her, then at Derek and then back at the girl. Putting a hand on Paige's shoulder to ease her back a step, Derek informed Isaac, "This is Paige Flanagan. She's a member of the pack."

That seemed to make him relax a bit and Paige mentally kicked herself for not thinking about that before. Discreetly, she shrugged his hand off her shoulder and looked to Isaac to begin his story.

"I have a D in chemistry," he explained. "My dad and I fought about it. I got on my bike and left. He followed me in the car, but I lost him. I got off my bike and just ran because the bike was slowing me down. The next thing I know I hear this screaming and I go and there's my dad's car and the driver's side door is opened and he's just lying in the car all clawed up and bloody – just, dripping blood. And… I came to find Derek."

"Another omega?" Paige explored, turning to Derek.

"Are you sure it wasn't human?" he wanted to know first.

The frightened boy shook his head. "Whatever it was ripped the car door straight off the hinges."

Derek looked between the two teenagers before deciding, "I'm going to go check it out. Stay here." Paige opened her mouth to protest and he gave her a glare. "I mean it." She shut her mouth. Yanking the shirt she had chucked back at him over his head and onto his body, he left.

Tentatively, Isaac lowered himself onto one of the attached chairs in the unrenovated train car. Paige came to sit near him. "You play lacrosse," she ventured.

He didn't look up as he said, "Yes. You're Flanagan's sister aren't you?"

"Yup," she forced a smiled even though he couldn't see it.

"He's friends with that asshole Jackson."

"Yup." This time she couldn't even bother to force a smile.

Well, she had tried to make friends, she allowed herself. Time for bed. She had only just stood up when Isaac glanced over and asked, "When did Derek bite you?"

"He didn't," she replied. "Before Derek, there was another alpha…"

"Yeah," Isaac dropped his head back down. "Derek mentioned that."

"He changed Scott McCall, too," she kind of threw out there. "Jackson's apparently rejecting the bite, but even so – he _is_ an ass. McCall… not so much. He's not exactly part of the pack because he'd rather be an omega but he's still a good ally to have," she advised. "My introduction to pack shenanigans was by a crazy alpha who wanted to go around killing people. So, I'm not exactly the best person to ask about pack things – but I do know one thing. We're a pack. You need anything, I'm there."

For a moment he didn't say anything and then he lifted his head to meet her eyes. He searched her face for a bit, but she didn't know what he was looking for. So, she smiled again and retreated back into the renovated car.

Hours later, she heard someone come in and she felt the mattress shift a bit. But she was too enthralled in her dreams to open her eyes and find out if the movement was more than just part of her dream. It wasn't until later, when she became overheated that she finally allowed her eyes to open… to find that someone was spooning her from behind. Her eyes travelled downward to take note of the arm that was wrapped around her… And she instantly knew whose arm hair that was.

But, she stayed still as a rock.

Maybe he had shifted in his sleep while dreaming about someone else. Maybe that had been the position he had adopted when he returned. Either way, she enjoyed it. Being draped by Derek was better than being draped by Derek's shirt – even if she was still kind of angry.

Paige didn't know how much time had passed, or where Isaac had gone, but eventually Derek stirred and pulled away.

"You have a test," he muttered, yawning.

"Don't worry. I studied," she replied, standing and collecting her things. Without a word, she left rather than ask what the heck that was about. Because part of her didn't want to know – not if it had been a mistake. Let her live in some kind of delusion rather than be told that he wasn't interested.

When she reached her block, she was so caught up in her own head… she didn't notice the police cars at first.

Oh no.

* * *

**Preview:**

**When her pocket buzzed, she frowned but whipped out her phone. No one texted her anymore. That first month that she'd been there, her friends from back home had blown up her phone constantly. But as the weeks dragged on and Paige was investing her time in werewolf things, the texts and calls were less and less. It wasn't something she thought about too deeply – her life in Chicago was over.**

**_Meet me in the parking lot immediately after school. – Derek_**

* * *

_And my running feet could fly_

_Each breath screaming_

_"We are all too young to die"_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Not much to say about this chapter besides the fact that you get a look at the Flanagan family. I personally always appreciate a reasonable and realistic family situation that isn't totally neglected as the action begins. Sometimes I feel like I'm neglecting them a bit – so this chapter was necessary. Not a lot of the Derek-dude in this one, but I feel like y'all will appreciate the next chapter. Yup.**

**Also, started playing Teen Wolf: The Hunt. I hate so epically all the waiting because I'm such an impatient person. And I also personally just identify more with Erica, Isaac and Boyd so the fact that the main focus is a lot more on Scott, Allison, Stiles, etc. (which it should be because they are in fact the main characters) makes it a bit less interesting for me. All in all, I would recommend it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_The static from your arms, it's a catalyst_

_You're a chemical that burns there's nothing like this_

* * *

**Previously:**

**When she reached her block, she was so caught up in her own head… she didn't notice the police cars at first.**

**Oh no.**

* * *

As she approached her house, caution laced her veins. Images flashed through her head – her mother dead, her father bleeding, her brother trapped with legs that wouldn't move. Were the hunters still here? Surely not, since the police had apparently already shown up. But, what if they were? Would they be waiting to sweep her up and take her away now that her family was dead? Would Derek eventually come to the rescue?

But as she walked up her driveway, she noticed that there was a police officer in one of the cars parked outside. He noticed her, too. "Are you Paige Flanagan?" he asked as he exited his vehicle.

"Yes…" she responded hesitantly. Oh God, was he going to tell her that her family had been murdered? Was he going to warn her not to go inside the house?

Tilting the radio on his shoulder closer to his mouth, he murmured into it, "We found her. Recall all units."

Two seconds later, her front door burst opened and her mother came stumbling out. When their eyes met, her mom nearly sagged with relief. Then her body tightened and she demanded, "Where have you been?!"

"I…" Paige glanced back at the door to find her father in the doorway and Wyatt in his wheelchair a bit farther back. "I was out," she finally said.

"Out? Out?!" her mom nearly shrieked. "For the whole night? I made sundaes last night and I came to your room to ask if you wanted one and your window was open and you weren't there and I called your cell phone but it was on your nightstand and we called the police! They've been looking for you half the night! And then…" her voice trailed off and the tears started falling.

Putting an arm around his wife, her dad continued where she left off. "I received news last night that a man was murdered. The police hoped the same fate hadn't befallen you. It was the only reason they began looking for you before the standard twenty-four hours." He neglected the other reason. When the district attorney of Beacon Hills has a missing daughter, the police better find her or else hell will be raised. Especially when Gregory Flanagan was involved.

"I… who died?" she forced herself to ask. She knew about Isaac's dad, but that didn't mean he was the only one who had died last night.

Her dad frowned. "No one you knew," he said simply. Then he turned to the officers. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. I assure that you will be reimbursed."

The cops left the family to their business and Paige was lead to the dining room table to sit and face her punishment.

"I spoke to Sheriff Stilinski," her father began, lacing his fingers. "He's an only child. So was his wife. His son has no cousin _Miguel_." Paige glanced at Wyatt, but he just scowled at her. Hidden a bit underneath that anger was hurt, though. She had lied to him as well – and they were siblings. The same rules didn't apply. Her father noticed her gaze. "Don't blame Wyatt. When you turned up missing, he suggested you might be with your secret ex-boyfriend – maybe tying up some loose ends. Since apparently that couldn't have happened, I have to ask, where were you?"

Her brain spun. Now. She should tell them now – everything that had happened this past month. For the first time in forever, they were all under the same roof and who knew when that would happen again? Maybe the gig was up and she should just accept it. She should tell them everything – about Peter and Kate and everything. But, to mention Peter and Kate and werewolves would mean… she'd be forced to also mention Derek and Scott and now Isaac.

This wasn't just about her, she realized. There was a pack now. She had made that commitment. Fine.

So, how did she get out of this? Slowly, something came together as she was gaping at her family. The best lies had a bit of truth to them.

"I was with Isaac Lahey," she explained. When her father's scowl deepened, she knew the only person who had died that night was Isaac's dad. And now she had just told him that that was who she'd been spending last night with. "There was never any Miguel," she admitted. "It was always Isaac. We met in the beginning of the year and well… he's a sophomore and he's on the team with Wyatt," she explained, gesturing to her brother. "And we didn't know if we were going anywhere, because I just want to go back to Chicago and I'll be gone next year and yeah…

"I'm sorry. I should have told you guys about him and I shouldn't have snuck out last night and – and, I'm just so very sorry."

And she was. And the tears that sprang to her eyes weren't forced because it was finally hitting her. She would never be able to tell them about that part of her life. They had their own lives, she knew. Her mother at the junior high. Her father at the courthouse. Her brother at school and lacrosse. Paige at the hideout with Derek and the newly expanding pack. And often, that meant that their lives didn't overlap and they spent a terrible amount of time apart. Before Derek, Paige hadn't even really had a life. She'd sit at home and do housework and wait for her family to come back. But now she had things to do and people to talk with and her parents would never have a chance to know anything about it. For the first time, the secret of being a wolf came pounding down on her shoulders in a way it hadn't before.

Paige's mom clasped a hand over her daughters shaking one and simply said, "What you did was wrong. We're glad you realize that. We would like to meet this boy, whether it's something serious or not, it would be nice to know who's been spending time with our daughter."

"Okay," she mumbled.

"Good," her mother forced a smile and nodded to her husband. "Now, you should probably go get ready or else you'll be late for school."

She knew when she was being dismissed. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she stumbled up the stairs to her room. All things considered, she had gotten off pretty lightly. Mostly, she just needed some time to breathe. And refocus.

Wait… had she just agreed to introduce her parents to Isaac Lahey?

* * *

When Paige sat down in second period, her quiet neighbor leaned in close. "Did you hear?" Erica asked.

"About what?" Paige put her book bag down and pulled her books free. She was wondering if it had anything to do with Isaac's dad – a murder like that seemed pretty common place in this town at this point but still… the gossips were always out and about at a time like this.

"Some kid killed his dad," Erica explained.

Her book fell from her hands with a clatter. "Who?" she asked, grabbing the fallen books. Had the rumor mill spun that far out of control?

"Some dude named Isaac," she expanded, shrugging. "He's my age, so I don't expect you to know him."

"No… I do know him…" Paige trailed off just as the teacher started handing out the test.

Part of her wanted to go find him. She knew she had to talk to him – tell him that she might have told her parents that she was dating him. Also, she very much wanted to know how serious these rumors were. Would the police take them seriously? But she also knew that she had a test to take and classes to deal with.

Like she said, her grades came first.

* * *

The answers she had written down on her test sheet were circling through her head as she closed her locker. It was only when Scott appeared at her side that she recalled the fact that life extended outside the high school – like, into the supernatural.

"Derek turned someone else," he told her.

"I know," she said as she shut her locker and leaned in closer. "He showed up last night. Something killed his father."

"The police think it was him," Scott explained, bordering on frantic. Shit, Paige gave a mental wince. Honestly…? Of all things to happen, that had to be the absolute worst-case scenario.

"Have they arrested him?"

"They're questioning him as we speak," Scott explained. "But if they even think he's a suspect they can keep him locked up for twenty-four hours. It's his first moon."

Paige let out a deep breath. "He'll go crazy," she said. "We have to do something. I'll go see Derek right after school. He'll know what to do."

Scott hesitated, "You're in his pack."

"Yes," she frowned. "And you should be, too. We are stronger…"

"In a pack. I know! Derek has been telling me that since I met him. But, I just don't trust him. And I'm not giving the Argents any more reason to hate me, beside being a wolf." Scott ran a hand through his hair. "One more thing," he added. "Allison's grandfather is in town. He… he killed an omega without any hesitation. He said he wants to kill all the werewolves – no code, no nothing."

"I knew that," Paige said, turning a corner. Her next class was in sight and she had a lot to think about.

"Did you know he's our new principal?"

And… that made her stop. "What? What happened to our old principal?"

"No clue," he shrugged. "But we need to be more careful. He's dangerous."

Paige couldn't agree more. But really – what wasn't dangerous anymore?

The next two periods flew by and then lunch arrived. Once again, Paige avoided Stiles – who shot her a regretful look… that she pointedly ignored. Erica made room for her, but kept her nose in the notebook she was studying from. "Three test in one day," she had mentioned. "Some teachers just want their students to suffer."

When her pocket buzzed, she frowned but whipped out her phone. No one texted her anymore. That first month that she'd been in Beacon Hills, her friends from back home had blown up her phone constantly. But as the weeks dragged on and Paige was investing her time in werewolf things, the texts and calls were less and less. It wasn't something she thought about too deeply – her life in Chicago was over.

_Meet me in the parking lot immediately after school. – Derek_

"What's wrong?" Erica asked, finally glancing up from her notes.

"I… don't know how this person got my number… It's a little creepy."

Erica asked, "Is it a boy?"

"Uh, yeah…" Paige replied distractedly, thinking of how to respond – if she should respond at all.

"A cute boy?"

""Cute" is the wrong word," she muttered, tapping her fingernail against the screen in concentration. "More like, "hot". Well-sculpted. Beefy." She flipped her phone's screen to pen her reply.

_Do I even want to know how or when you got this number? You're officially a creeper. Also, Isaac is now my boyfriend. Thought you should know._

"So, there's a hot guy texting you and you're more concerned about the fact that you don't know how he got the number, rather than the fact that, um_, a hot guy is texting you?_" Erica gave a small, forlorn smile. "I wish I had those kinds of problems…"

Paige opened her mouth to respond, but her phone buzzed in her hand and she glanced down at it first. Derek's response was, _When I got back last night Isaac said you only spoke for two minutes before you went to bed. I wasn't aware that you worked that fast…_

Then she looked back at the girl. "You're a pretty girl_, _Erica," she told her semi-friend. "I wish you'd have more confidence in yourself."

"No guy can think a girl is pretty after they've seen her piss her pants," Erica shot back. Her face had fallen and her body slumped forward.

Somehow, Paige knew she'd gotten lost in her own head, her own insecurities and… the brunette had no idea what to say. Erica had suffered from epilepsy her whole life and episode after episode had taken its toll. She probably wouldn't know confidence if it came knocking on her head and that broke Paige's heart. But there wasn't much she could do.

In the meantime, she shot Derek a reply. _Yes, I work that fast – even Isaac doesn't know yet. Got caught by my parents sneaking back in this morning. My old excuse fell through. _

"What happened to you?"

The girl glanced up to find Erica squinting at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I remember you," she explained. "The first month of school – you were so shy, so scared. You never did your hair or your makeup and you were always wearing sweats. But then, a few weeks ago, you got… I don't know – more stable. And then last week you show up looking like a fashion model and broke that dude's hand. You're like… a whole new person. What happened?"

She struggled with words for a second because "I got turned into a werewolf" didn't quite cut it. When her phone buzzed a response, she ignored it. "I… had a bit of near-death experience and really reevaluated what I was doing with my life. It's not the best feeling, being scared all the time."

"I can relate…" Erica muttered.

"I just, made some changes," Paige finally concluded.

The golden blonde nodded, still confused but pacified for now, and returned to her studied. Only then did Paige look at Derek's response.

_What was your old excuse?_

Paige hesitated, realizing she didn't exactly have to tell him the truth – it wasn't like he could hear her heartbeat from where the heck he currently was…But, she had lied through her teeth with her parents this morning – she owed _someone_ the truth – especially her alpha. She blushed a bit before she shot back, _That I was dating Stiles' cousin Miguel. Who has terrible nosebleeds. _

Less than thirty seconds later, he replied. _Hm, that's pretty wishful thinking._

This time her face darkened a dusky red and she angrily texted back, _Stiles was the one who came up with it. Trust me, I prefer this new excuse. At least Isaac doesn't go back and forth between kissing me, then ordering me around, then stripping me, then acting like an overprotective, bossy father. _

There. Let him deal with that.

It actually surprised her, how… talkative he was via text. He was much more playful. Sure, he was sarcastic in person, but it seemed that the written conversation made him soften a bit. And it seemed it had the opposite effect on her. She couldn't begin to imagine saying that to him in person – God, she hadn't even brought up the kiss until now! But, it was like she had just told Erica: she made some changes. It might have also been the impending full moon… Actually, it was probably the full moon.

_I'm certain you'll be much happier with Isaac._

His response seemed playful enough but… she knew it wasn't. She stared at the message for a full two minutes. In her head, Derek was scowling but… his eyebrows were doing that thing they did when they pulled together and made him look so miserable… so tortured. There was another message, somewhere hidden in there and Paige wasn't sure she wanted to know it.

She put her phone away.

"You're friends with Stiles, aren't you?"

Erica's question startled her a bit. "Uh… we talk," she finally admitted. The other girl nodded and returned to her notebook. "Why?"

The blonde shrugged a bit but didn't lift her head again.

* * *

When the bell rang, Paige was ready. She had already packed her backpack and was perfectly prepared to burst out the front door and face the grumpy alpha. She had barely reached the front door when she ran into Scott – who was also frantically heading outside.

They shared a look and then together, they pushed open the doors.

A police car was pulling away and in the back – looking like a lost puppy, was Isaac. Paige vaguely remembered telling him if he needed anything, all he had to do was ask because they were a pack. And she knew they wouldn't let him down.

"Did Derek text you, too?" she asked Scott. But he didn't have a chance to respond as a car pulled up to the steps. Speak of the devil. Grinding to a halt, Derek's car jerked a bit.

"Get in," Derek commanded in the way that only Derek can command people.

"Are you serious?" Scott asked, his voice going a bit high for a second. "You did that. That's your fault." He pointed towards the direction the police car had gone.

The alpha gripped the steering wheel and finally admitted, "I know that. Now get in the car and help me."

"I've got a better idea. I'm going to call a lawyer. Because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon comes out." Scott turned toward Paige and asked, "Could your dad get him out?"

Well, considering the fact that her father thought she and Isaac were dating, that might actually work. And she had said they were together last night – if she could get the time right, she could give him an alibi and get him out. But… she also knew her father. He would take her at her word, of course, but he'd have to follow up. There was no way the district attorney would let Isaac out until someone besides his daughter could verify his alibi. And – they'd have to compare notes first. Her exact response was, "Maybe tomorrow. But not before."

"It'll be even worse when they do a real search of the house," Derek spoke up from inside his car.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, approaching the car. Paige followed him.

"Whatever Jackson said to the cops – what's in the house is worse," the alpha explained. "A lot worse."

Paige glanced between Derek and Scott, before making up her mind. Well, more like – she always knew she would help Isaac, but whether Scott or Derek could give the boy more help… she hadn't known until now. Or maybe, she had always known that Derek would have the answer… or maybe she had just hoped Derek would have the answer because she couldn't seem to trust anyone else.

Taking those last two steps towards the car, she yanked open the door. Hoping that Scott would choose to join them, she pulled the chair forward and climbed in the back.

Scott only hesitated for a few more seconds. Just when the noise of restless high schoolers began tidal-waving toward the main doors did the boy follow Paige into the car. They peeled away.

"Why did Jackson talk to the cops?" Paige asked.

"He lives across the street from Isaac," Scott explained. "He saw them fighting last night."

They waited until the sun had set.

Paige distantly realized that Wyatt no longer had lacrosse practice and would be wondering where she was, so she sent him a quick message telling him she was in the library studying and not to worry.

And then, it was time to do some breaking and entering. The three of them exited the car and Derek handed Paige a flashlight. She meaningfully avoided his eyes but accepted the flashlight anyway. Then the alpha grabbed one for himself and then they snuck into the house.

"If Isaac didn't kill his father, who did?" Scott suddenly asked.

That seemed to be the question on everyone's mind.

"I don't know yet," Derek admitted.

"Then… how do you know he's telling the truth?"

"I just know he is," Paige argued at the same time that Derek explained, "Because I trust my senses." After a pause he added, "It's a combination of them. Not just… your sense of smell."

She glanced at the back of Derek's head. He was proving a point. What point? She felt like she had missed something.

Scott stopped walking and sheepishly glanced at Derek. "You saw lacrosse today?"

"Yeah."

"Did it look that bad?" he asked, hesitantly.

Derek grabbed Scott's shoulder and gave it a hardy squeeze. "Yeah."

"Do I want to know?" Paige spoke up from behind both of them.

"No," Derek said simply. They reached a door and the alpha opened it to reveal a basement. "You want to learn? Start now." And he held out his arm to allow Scott to wander down first.

"What's down here?" Scott asked about halfway down the stairs.

"Motive," was the only reply he got.

Motive… motive for Isaac to kill his father? Why would a teenage son ever have any reason to kill his own father?

"And what am I looking for?"

"Follow your senses…"

Scott wandered for a bit but Paige remained behind Derek. This basement made her tingle and she hadn't even sharpened her senses yet. Besides, apparently Derek meant this as a training lesson for Scott and Paige had absolutely no intention of interrupt his plans.

"What happened down here?" Scott finally asked.

"The kind of thing that leaves an impression."

And an impression it left. The air was too thick and there was a ringing in her ears. Slowly, she sharpened her own senses and focused on the room in general. It hurt and she was scared and she might have whimpered. Maybe a little bit. She wouldn't have known if Derek hadn't glanced back at her, all concerned. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but seemed to think better of it. He instantly backed off.

Then, Scott caught sight of a large metal box.

"Open it," Derek encouraged.

But Paige hung back. That box was making her shake a bit.

"This is why he said yes to you," Scott finally said after he had gotten an eyeful of whatever was in there.

Hesitantly, Paige stepped forward, just as Derek said, "Everyone wants power."

Oh God. There were claw marks – no. Those hadn't been made by claws. Those had been made by human hands, frantic human hands. What had this boy's father done to him?

* * *

**Preview:**

**Paige knew it was a lost cause, and she knew he was holding back.**

**What she didn't know was why, another punch later, he lifted her up and pushed her completely against the wall again and… kissed her.**

* * *

_It's the purest element but it's so volatile_

_An equation heaven sent, a drug for angels_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Tonight's episode is going to be awesome. I just know it will. Thought that a good episode might go well with a good chapter. So, here y'all are. The romance. The intrigue. The drama. Boom.**

**Note: this story has a mature warning for a reason. You've been warned.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_My black eye casts no shadow_

_Your red eye sees no pain_

_Your slaps don't stick_

_Your kicks don't hit_

_So we remain the same_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Hesitantly, Paige stepped forward, just as Derek said, "Everyone wants power."**

**Oh God. There were claw marks – no. Those hadn't been made by claws. Those had been made by human hands, frantic human hands. What had this boy's father done to him?**

* * *

Paige tuned the rest of the conversation out. There was just something about those deep claw marks up and down the inside of that metal box that truly ripped at her. It was then that she decided she needed to protect this boy. Blankly, it occurred to her that he was now a wolf – that Derek had given him the ability to fight back – and that his father was cold and dead but still – she was older. She was stronger. She would protect this member of her pack. This she-wolf would protect and defend her own.

The conversation must have ended, because Derek pulled her away. Without a word, he just grabbed her wrist and dragged her right up the stairs and into his car.

"You knew his dad was abusing him," she murmured. It didn't mean to sound like an accusation – but it came out that way.

"Yes," Derek took a turn down some street she was unfamiliar with. "When I first ran into him, he had a black eye."

"But you changed him anyway… weren't you scared he'd lose control and attack his father?"

"It crossed my mind," he admitted. "But I knew that with me, he'd learn that kind of control. And he'd heal faster from whatever his father did to him. It doesn't matter now, though. His father's dead." He glanced at her briefly but she couldn't face his gaze. Her hands were still shaking. "That affected you a lot more than I thought it would."

"No one deserves that," she said simply, clenching her hands to stop the shaking. "I could _feel_ his fear. I could feel the desperate need to get out, to escape, to run." And right now, she could feel her claws breaking the skin of her palms. She couldn't tell if it was the moon overhead or her sudden hatred of a dead man. "We have to help him," she decided aloud.

"We will," Derek promised her.

"Where are we going?"

"Back home." He didn't have to mention which home that was – Paige already knew that he meant his train car in the abandoned subway. "Stiles has information that the Argents are already sending someone to take care of Isaac. We have to break him out before then. His jeep is more common place at the station so that's the car we'll take."

"Okay…" Paige took a deep breath. Well, her deeds were going from bad to worse. First she gets caught sneaking back home, then she broke into someone's house and now she's breaking a prisoner out of jail. Her father would be so proud. Regardless, she didn't feel guilty. She should, but she didn't. This was necessary.

Derek parked his car a block away and they walked the rest of distance to the station. But when he entered the little shelter, she grew suspicious. Shouldn't Stiles already be on his way? Wouldn't it be easier to wait outside?

He disappeared into his train car and returned with a length of chain. Beside his train car, there was a pillar that extended up to the ceiling. This was where he stood, chain in hand, as he gestured for Paige to come closer. Frowning, she approached her alpha. But when he grabbed her wrist and wrapped part of the chain around her wrist, lightening quick, she realized the mistake she had made. He was trying to trap her.

With speed that just wasn't enough against an alpha, she pulled her arm back – only for him use the chain around her wrist to yank her back. Stumbling, he took advantage of her being off balance to wrap the length of chain around the pillar.

"What are you doing?" she asked, struggling.

After winding it around the pillar twice, securing her one wrist, he told her, "This is only your second full moon. You're already losing control. I can't have you in a police station ready to pounce at any second."

"I'm fine," she protested. But she could hear the growl in her voice and the wolf inside her rising. "I want to help Isaac," she tried another avenue of argument.

"We'll get him out, I promise." His eyebrows were furrowed – like he wasn't exactly enjoying tying a teenage girl to a pillar.

"He's part of the pack," she threw at him. "I should be there to help him. I told him that I'd help him if he needed it. I want to be there. Please…"

But he just shook his head and reached for her other wrist.

Pissed as all hell, she gave him her appendage. Oh Lord, she gave it to him – claws blazing and teeth bared. With a sickly _slish_ the skin on his chest parted into five clear claw-marks. Part of Paige was horrified. Another part of her felt like he completely deserved it. How dare he tie her up? How dare he keep her from helping this boy? How dare he not trust her to keep her cool?

Derek stopped for a moment… looking at his wounds as though he couldn't believe she had just done that. Finally he spoke. "During your first full moon, you hit me," he reminded her. "Then you apologized." His red eyes rose to meet her yellow ones. "You've changed."

And then, his hand shot out and grabbed at her wayward wrist. He tightened his grip until she heard bone snap, growling his dominance. To her credit, Paige roared right back, putting all her muscle behind keeping her arm out of his grasp. But by the end of it, he was in fact able to wrap the remaining chain around her wrist and completely secure her to the pillar.

Paige tested the strength of the metal and was met with resistance she knew she couldn't easily overcome. So, she snapped her jaws at the alpha.

All Derek did was stand there and look at her, the red bleeding out of his eyes. Finally he sighed, "You can't get caught there. Your father is someone important; you have to remember that. The pack is important, but you can't forget your life outside it." He searched her face briefly, and added, "And I need to know you're safe." Then he turned away and left.

It was the worst thing he could have done – turning his back on her. Paige pulled and tugged and tried so hard to wretch herself free. Instead, she made her wrists bleed. Twice, her wrist bones popped and she knew they had broken under her immense strain. Her breaths were coming out in pants and she tried to close her eyes and focus. New strategy. She needed a new strategy. If he came back and saw that she was calm, he might let her out – let her run around the station until she wore herself out like last time. If she didn't calm down, she might spend the rest of the night against this pillar. So, she tried to breath through her nose.

Instead, the tears came.

_What life?_ she wondered. What life did she have outside the pack? No one was there. No one had been there. This was all she had. This was all Derek had. And maybe it was also all Isaac had and she needed to be there to help that boy.

She howled.

She howled loud enough that she knew Derek could hear her. Maybe Scott even heard her. Maybe the hunters heard her and would come put her out of her misery.

And then she just kind of whimpered.

Honestly, she had no idea how much time had passed but eventually she heard someone upstairs. Whoever it was travelled down the stairs and there was a rustle as they removed their jacket. Leather – she could smell it. She didn't lift her head until Derek was directly in front of her, alone.

"Where's Isaac?" she asked, tonelessly. That was her first priority.

"I locked him in the warehouse we first used," he explained. A pause and then, "You've been crying."

"You tied me up," she said. She let that accusation roll over in his head a bit before she gave in and clarified, "I couldn't wipe them away."

Derek continued to just stand there and look at her… before he rounded the pillar and ripped the chains apart effortlessly. Her bondage fell away from her, exposing her raw wrists. The alpha noticed her wounds and came closer, lifting one of her limp arms.

His focus was directed so entirely on making sure her wrist was healing itself before his very eyes that he didn't notice the punch until it was too late. Her fist hit him right on the jaw and his head snapped up and back. But she didn't stop. Wrenching the other hand from his grasp, she shot him another punch. This time, blood blossomed from over his eye. Another punch, and another and another… but…

He wasn't defending himself.

Paige realized that he was just standing there, taking each hit she was giving him. It made her instantly stop. Her hesitation allowed his face a chance to mend itself – the busted eyebrow stitching back together, his broken nose snapping back into the proper shape. But still, he just looked at her – waiting for her to hit him again. So, she pushed his shoulders and he stumbled a bit. And then, she pushed again. And again. And suddenly there was a wall and she kept pushing but there was nowhere for him to go.

Slowly, her pushes lost force. This wasn't right.

"What… are you doing?" she asked. "Is this some kind of trick?"

"You have energy you need to release," he explained simply, emotionlessly.

"Well – I can't fight you if you aren't going to fight back," she growled. She wanted a battle, a challenge – not a punching bag.

"You don't want me to fight – I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. I'll hurt you."

"Too late." He had already hurt her. She gave him another push. "Fight back," she snarled.

And then, she was being twisted around as he reversed their positions – slamming her into the wall.

It shook the whole room and she shouted out. But instantly, she was back on the offensive, kicking out with her left leg. Derek sidestepped the kick and slammed her up against the wall again. Something fell all the way on the other side of the station, inside his train car, but both of them ignored it. She aimed a punch, but he caught her wrist and flung it to the side. And did the same to her next punch, and the punch after that.

Paige knew it was a lost cause, and she knew he was holding back. Way to add insult to injury. She knew he was just toying with her.

What she didn't know was why, another punch later, he lifted her up and pushed her completely against the wall again and… kissed her.

Feverish lips met snarling fangs and moist tongues. And she was being oh so sweetly crushed – by his lips, by his chest, by his hard groin against hers. With a mind of their own, her legs wrapped themselves around his waist and suddenly his hip bones were pressing down on an area Paige hadn't really given much thought to.

Her hands ran up and down his neck and shoulders and biceps. They then worked their way to his back.

And then the claws came out. The she-wolf was more than awake and ready to make things just that much more interesting. Her nails dug into his lower back and cut deeply into his skin as they worked their way upwards. Derek growled into her mouth and gave his hips a forceful thrust forward. The sound that escaped her mouth was more of a yelp and partially a moan. God, what was this man doing to her? Why hadn't this man done this to her before?

As his revenge, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced her head back with a snap and a breathy whine from the abused she-wolf. His mouth attacked her neck and she was damn near panting as his tongue slicked along her pulse point. Gently at first, he nibbled his way down. But at her collarbone, he sunk his fangs straight in.

A howl escaped her mouth and dissolved into a series of whimpers as he continued to nip at the skin around the wound.

She tugged at his hair a bit – not with enough force to pull him away from the sensitive areas along her neck, but he still growled against her throat. The vibration worked its way up to rattle her teeth a bit. On impulse, she gave his hair one harsh, strong tug and he lifted his head to meet her gaze, thinking that this was her way of telling him to stop.

But instead, she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips back to hers. It appeared that she missed his presence there. With renewed permission, Derek gave his hips another slam into the junction of her thighs and reached a hand up to cup her breast. The breath left her lungs as he gave it a rough squeeze and then found her nipple. He jerked at it roughly and she hissed against his mouth.

And then the motherfucking door burst open.

Derek was halfway across the station by the time Scott appeared on the top steps. Paige was not quite as quick. She leaned against the wall, bracing herself on the rough brick because her legs felt like jelly and the heat between her thighs was throbbing.

Oh Lord.

"What is it, Scott?" To his credit, Derek didn't sound half as winded as Paige felt.

The boy glanced between Derek and Paige and gave a little sniff. Even in the darkness, Paige could see the blush that appeared on his cheeks. With an inner groan, Paige stood up completely and waved her hand to tell him to explain why he was there. And why he had interrupted them.

Paige was still trying to figure out if she was grateful, or pissed.

"I think whatever killed Isaac's father was just at his house," Scott said.

"What?" Derek took a step closer to the boy.

"I was locked in the box and Allison was upstairs. I heard her scream and I went up there and the thing was on the ceiling and it just… crawled right passed us. I can't explain it."

"Did you get a good look at it?" was Derek's first question.

"No, it was too dark and I was more concerned about Allison… but," he trailed off and his face crunched up in concentration. "It didn't look like us. It didn't move like us. It's not a wolf," he concluded.

Derek scowled as he processed the information and only Paige had the foresight to ask, "Is Allison alright?"

"Yea…" he said. "A little shook up, but I took her home. She's safe now."

"Good," Paige tried to smile.

Scott's face twisted into a look of "so, what exactly did I interrupt?" but Paige ignored it in favor of glancing at the time on her phone and announcing, "I should go home."

That right there broke Derek's concentration and he glanced at her. He held her gaze for only a bit before agreeing. "I'll take you home."

"I can walk," she threw out there.

Derek picked up his jacket and shrugged it on. "Scott just said he encountered a murderous creature. And that he no longer knows where it is. You aren't going alone."

"Fine." She honestly didn't have the energy to argue with him.

When the man turned around to disappear into his train car, Paige noted the claw marks she'd left on his back were gone – but not the tears in his shirt. Scott noticed them too and shot her another look. She just shrugged and the boy waved as he disappeared out the door, his job done. Then something occurred to her. Reaching up, she fingered the deep bite-mark he had made. Yup. That was still there. And still bleeding and without the pheromones and adrenaline, she could feel it sharply. Asshole.

At least he knew to take her to the school parking lot, where her little car was parked all alone.

But she didn't get out.

"Are we going to talk about what happened, or just pretend like it never occurred?" she finally asked. She spoke pretty tonelessly, because any energy she had had was gone – wasted on trying to break those chains, wasted on fighting an unmoving man, wasted on making out with the aforementioned man.

"Do you _want_ to talk about it?" was his only response.

"I'd rather wait till tomorrow. I need a good night's rest to process it," she replied. "But I know I'll forget to bring it up – or chicken out." There was a pause and finally she asked, "Why did you do that?"

Derek just kind of fingered the rims of his steering wheel before saying, "If you're waiting for a declaration of love, it's not going to happen."

Anger inflamed her brain and she snapped, "Forget it," and pushed the door open.

"Paige." His voice stopped her. "You're young. Too young to understand and too young to be mixed up with someone like me."

She leaned back in the leather seat. It was going to sound super immature – but maybe he needed to be reminded of a few things. "I'm eighteen," she said. "And it doesn't matter how old or young someone is – they won't understand anything until someone explains it. And I've been mixed up with you since you broke into my house – and that was _your_ fault."

"I was sixteen when I got mixed up with Kate," he finally admitted. "And there was a five year difference between us. There's a four year age difference between you and me."

"Right…" Paige tried not to sound too biting, but her neck hurt and the full moon was still out and brighter than ever. She wouldn't be surprised if her eyes were yellow. "Because I'm just like you and you're just like her."

He shot her a look and gripped the steering wheel a bit too tightly. "I don't want to lead you on."

"You haven't," she sighed. "You've never made any promises. I'm not sitting here, expecting anything, I just –"

"You're attracted to me," he said sharply.

Paige shut her mouth with a click and then replied, "Yes. You knew that. You've known that since forever ago." After a brief pause, she ventured, "Are you attracted to me?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "If that's not obvious at this point, I'm going to seriously question your critical thinking skills."

"I haven't learned to use all my senses yet," she snarked. "My alpha said he'd teach me but all he did was throw me against a wall and violate me."

Instantly, she knew she had said something wrong. Everything about Derek tightened and his jaw clenched so roughly, she thought he'd crack a tooth.

"Derek," she tried to backtrack. "That was a joke." But he didn't look at her. Grabbing his face by his jaw, she yanked his head so that she could look him in the eyes. It startled her to realize her hands had grown claws on account of her annoyance at having to explain herself. "You did not violate me. We were both very active participants. You just surprised me, is all. Calm down. Please. I don't like seeing you like this – all, self-loathing and crap. You're better than that." He slowly relaxed and her claws retracted themselves. She should probably be more worried about the effect Derek had on her wolf. Brushing that away, she asked, "Now tell me, what's really bothering you?"

His hand reached up and pulled hers away from his face. But he didn't let her wrist go.

"I'm attracted to you," he finally repeated. "And I find you to be mentally and emotionally… compatible with me as well." He shrugged. "I like you. But, I don't want to ruin you. I'm so much older, I have a lot more experience, I'm rough, I'm moody. I don't want to ruin you the same way –"

"I thought we'd established that you and Kate are nothing alike," she interrupted.

"Fine," he agreed. "But still – I… Kate was my first love and because she was using me to get at my family, she was absolutely incapable of loving me back. And while the pain of losing my family was obviously sharper, it still really screwed me up in the head – to realize that you can give a person everything without them ever giving you _anything_ back. That… something like that was possible. I've dated other women – back in New York. Every single one of those relationships failed because eventually they wanted something that I couldn't give them.

"You're young. You don't know what love and life are like. And I don't want your first experience to be with someone who could never love you back."

Paige looked at him for a long moment and realized that he must have been thinking about this for a while. The way his explanation flowed, it had been a concern for him for a decent amount of time. But exactly how long had this been weighing on his mind?

Finally, she said, "I think you're underestimating the power of love."

She nearly cringed at the cheesiness of the sentence as it slipped from her mouth. But Derek seemed genuinely intrigued or perhaps, confused, by her answer. His grip tightened on her wrist – but then her phone began to ring and he released his grip entirely so that she could answer it.

"Hello," she spoke into the device.

"Curfew is in a half an hour – where are you?" her mom asked. Well, the curfew was new. So was her mom checking in on her like this. Last night must have really freaked them out.

"I'm on my way home from the library as we speak," Paige informed her.

"Okay, drive safe. Love you."

"Love you, too."

And then she hung up the phone.

"I…" she gestured to her car.

"Yeah," he nodded.

Paige jumped out and closed the door. But before she allowed him to drive off, she stuck her head back in the window. "I read somewhere that the worst thing you can do in life is overthink things," she informed him. "Don't overthink. Not about what's in your head, in your past, or your future." She smiled a bit. "What's meant to happen, will. That sounds… super fatalistic, but it's true. Don't fight it."

And then she walked away.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Paige barely heard Erica ask, "How?"**

**However, her ears were particularly sensitive to Derek's voice and she easily heard him say, "Let me show you."**

**"I'll wait outside," Paige announced. And before he could tell her otherwise, she was out the door and in the hall. Through the door she heard him explain about the werewolves, the hunters, everything the girl needed to know. And Paige heard her agree to the bite.**

* * *

_Broke your jaw once before_

_Spilt your blood upon the floor_

_You broke my leg in return_

_So let's sit back and watch the bed burn_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Hello, all! I'm currently in the process of getting all my stuff together to move back to campus and so I'm terribly sorry if chapters aren't posted quite as often. I'm still writing – which is ironic, that I'm writing, but not posting. Either way, at least y'all know that the story will be completed even if it's not up as quickly as I'd like. Also, it's occurring to me that I'll be at school for the season finale of Teen Wolf. **

**As always, thank you all so much for your continued support!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_You look so angry when you sleep, your face a troubled frown_

_So I will smooth your furrowed brow as I lay in the ground_

_I'll kiss you once for life; I'll kiss you twice for death_

_I'll hold you close for comfort, wearing my best dress_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige jumped out and closed the door. But before she allowed him to drive off, she stuck her head back in the window. "I read somewhere that the worst thing you can do in life is overthink things," she informed him. "Don't overthink. Not about what's in your head, in your past, or your future." She smiled a bit. "What's meant to happen, will. That sounds… super fatalistic, but it's true. Don't fight it."**

**And then she walked away.**

* * *

The next morning, it didn't occur to Paige to set her alarm early enough to catch her father before he left for work. She knew she needed to talk to him about the whole "yeah, remember my boyfriend Isaac? He was with me the whole time two nights ago and so he couldn't possibly have killed his father, so you should stop considering him a fugitive". But then again, she had been hoping to get her story straight with the boy and then… that plan had gone totally to hell the second Derek's tongue had gone down her throat.

Oh Lord, that tongue… down her throat.

Blushing a bit as she remembered the night before, Paige got ready for school. Wyatt was sleeping in, as per usual and blankly she remembered that he'd have to stop that habit in a few days – he was going back to school soon. Wheelchair-bound, but he'd be present all the same.

In the bathroom mirror, Paige was glad for her super-fast healing powers otherwise she would have had plenty of hickeys to explain. Especially when lunchtime arrived that day and of course, Erica gave her a sly smile and asked if she was still texting the cute boy.

"I… what?" Paige glanced at the girl. "Oh – yeah. Um, no I haven't texted him since yesterday."

"Pity," the blonde picked up her spoon. Something was off about the girl, Paige realized.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem pretty jumpy…"

"I have gym seventh period… we're climbing the rock wall," Erica muttered. "I hate the rock wall."

Paige didn't have much experience with the rock wall, but she could understand the girl's nerves. Athletics – specifically baseball – had always been an issue for Paige. Whenever it was her turn to bat she'd shake and freeze up and sweat like a flipping pig. All she could say was, "Don't look down. You'll be fine."

Apparently it wasn't that simple.

Scott told her later all about what had happened in the gym class. Erica had been placed against Stiles in climbing the wall. She had gotten maybe a quarter of the way up when she started freaking out. They'd been able to coax her down and they thought that that was the end of it. Once again, apparently it wasn't that simple. She had returned to the wall – this time without a harness. And then she had fallen. Luckily, Scott had been able to prevent her from getting hurt from the fall, but he hadn't been able to prevent her seizure that followed.

Stopping home only briefly, Paige ditched her backpack and then headed over to the hideout. Or at least, she tried to.

Wyatt was situated in front of the TV watching some sport or another. Today it appeared to be soccer. But when he saw her heading out, he clicked the TV off and asked, "Do you know where Isaac Lahey is?"

"Huh?" Paige dug in her purse for her keys, pretending like that question hadn't thrown her a little bit. "No. Why would I?"

"Because he's the one you've apparently been sneaking out to meet," Wyatt shot back. Then he groaned. "Listen, I don't care that you lied to me – sure, it hurt but I don't think you _meant_ to hurt me. And yeah, I know Isaac, and he's my age, and it still kind of weirds me out, the idea of you two together… but, whatever. But this whole shit with his father, and the fact that he broke out of jail, and stuff – the last thing I want is for you to get mixed up in something you can't control and get in trouble over a guy."

A smile slid across Paige's face. "You know, sometimes I forget that you're supposed to be the younger one," she teased. Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a little squeeze. "I don't know where Isaac is. I don't know how he escaped. But, I know he didn't kill his father. And I promise, I won't get mixed up in anything I can't control."

_Too late,_ she thought as she left the house.

_Too, too late_.

Derek was just standing in the middle of the room, when Paige opened the door. For a second she was confused and then she saw Isaac charge the alpha. Oh Lord! Was the boy attacking Derek? Did Derek do something to make the boy angry? She honestly wouldn't have put it past the alpha – to not watch his tongue because he thought that he was doing the boy a favor. And she didn't know Isaac well enough to know what would set him off or whether he'd respond with violence.

Taking the stairs three at a time, she watched as Derek batted the boy away.

"What… are you doing?" she asked.

"Training," Derek replied, his gaze still on the attacking boy.

Paige let the boys have their fun. Neither of them encouraged her to participate and she didn't know if that was because Isaac didn't think she could handle it, Derek didn't think she needed it, Isaac didn't want to face her, or Derek thought it would dissolve into a repeat of last night.

Eventually Isaac fell and didn't get back up.

"I have a way to make you no longer a fugitive," she cut in.

"Yeah – how?" Isaac found the energy to push himself up.

"My dad's the district attorney of Beacon Hills," she explained. "Yesterday morning I was caught sneaking back in – and had to come up with an excuse. Your name came up." She blushed a bit as she said, "I told them I'd been sneaking out to see you. They think we're dating. And they don't know when exactly you were gone two nights ago – or when I was gone. I could easily give you an alibi, but we would need to make it airtight and get our stories straight."

"Sweet," Isaac brushed his hands off on his pants and finally gave her a look that made her think he was finally appreciating her a bit.

Paige returned his smile, shyly.

"You two can discuss it later," Derek interrupted. His eyes flashed dangerously at Paige for a moment and she was sorely tempted to stick her tongue out at him. But she didn't. Heaven forbid she remind his that she was younger than him.

"Yeah," Paige hopped off the stairs and approached the alpha. "Are you still looking for people to turn?" she asked.

Derek nodded. "Yes, the pack still isn't big enough. We'll need at least two more. Why? Do you have someone in mind."

"There's a girl…" she trailed off, trying to figure out how best to describe her. "She's very kind and sweet and… she's also epileptic. I feel like she would have a lot of potential as a wolf – potential she'll never reach as a human. I mean, she's an awesome person – an awesome human… but I think she would really benefit from the bite."

For a moment, Derek searched her face. "She's a friend of yours?"

"We sit together at lunch," she shrugged and pretended she wasn't hurt by the disbelief in his voice. Of course she had friends. Why would he assume otherwise? "I think she'd take the bite in a heartbeat."

"Are you talking about that Erica girl?" Isaac spoke up for the first time. "The girl who had that seizure in the lunchroom a couple of days ago?"

"She had another one today," Paige explained. Then she shrugged at Derek. "And… the thing is, she was supposed to be climbing a rock wall in gym but couldn't do it during class. She freaked out and had to come back down. But later, she went _back_ to the wall – she was climbing it _without_ a harness when her seizure hit. I just… I think that says something about the kind of potential she'd have if she was given the chance. It's just food for thought. Do with it what you will." The other beta was looking at her, so she faced him again and cocked her head to encourage him to speak.

Isaac held her gaze a bit and then mimicked her shrug. "I don't know her – I just had a few classes with her. She doesn't talk a lot. And she's always shaking. But I guess if you eat lunch with her, you would know what's she really like."

"Where is she now?" Derek asked.

To be honest, Paige was surprised that the man was considering it. At some level, she knew she owned the girl at least the decency to mention her name to the one man who could give her what she wanted. And she liked the girl well enough – she was the closest thing Paige had to a friend at school. But she hadn't known if Derek would be willing to take on another she-wolf, especially one so young and weak.

"At the hospital, would be my best guess."

"Grab your coat. You've peaked my curiosity. Isaac, you stay here."

"Can't I come along and wait in the car?" the boy wanted to know. And suddenly, he seemed exactly his age. That was something Wyatt would have said.

"Until you and Paige clear up your innocence, you're not going anywhere without my permission," Derek said. "You will stay here."

Heading back to the stairs, Paige snatched up her coat and threw it on. Once the two were safely outside, Derek reached over and yanked the collar of her coat down. He nodded after he was assured that the marks he had made the night before were long since healed. Then he announced, "You take your car. If I do end up biting her, I want you to stay with her and make sure she doesn't die."

"She might die?" That was news to Paige. "Is that… normal?"

"The bite will either turn you or kill you," he explained. "It depends on the person."

"And… you think because of her epilepsy that it will be more likely to kill her?"

"It doesn't work like that." Derek paused in front of her car. "It doesn't typically matter how… unhealthy a person is prior to the bite. Sometimes people in the prime of their health don't survive the bite. Sometimes people who are half dead survive the bite. It's really just… a chance."

"And what's the likelihood that someone who's bitten will die as a result of it?"

"It's just… a chance," Derek shrugged and went stomping off.

After a brief moment of wondering if she had just damned Erica to the fate of death by werewolf bite, she got in her car and sped off. For the hell of it, she also sent her parents a text telling them that a friend of hers had had a seizure at school and was currently in the hospital, so she was stopping by to visit. So… she wasn't technically lying.

* * *

"Wait in the morgue," Derek commanded, appearing at her side the second she hopped from her car. And then – he was off.

Sighing, Paige made her way into the hospital and pretty easily located the morgue – the scent of stale death was enough to make her shudder. No one even glanced at her and Paige really hoped that was on account of the time of night and not the fact that people in hospitals were just that unobservant. Sitting on a nearby metal slab, she swung her legs back and forth, waiting.

She didn't wait long.

Gingerly, Derek wheeled Erica into the room. She was in a hospital gown and shaking like a leaf. Paige frowned and hopped down from the table. What had the big scary alpha done to the girl?

Instantly, Erica noticed the other girl. She sat up and glanced between Paige and Derek. The alpha ignored her gaze and instead read the pill bottle in his hands. "Side effects may include anxiety, weight gain, acne," he recited. "…ulcerative colitis…" Wincing a bit, he made a sympathetic noise in the back of his throat.

"Who are you?" Erica finally found her voice. Then she turned to Paige, "Who is he?"

Derek just smiled at her.

A bit annoyed, Paige spoke up. "He's a friend. He's here to help."

"You get a warning, right before you have a seizure," Derek said. Like the predator he was, he rounded the hospital bed and he leaned in a bit. Even Paige felt the air thicken a bit.

"It's called an aura." Erica's shaking was increasing and Paige hoped she wasn't about to have another seizure. "It's like a metallic taste in my mouth," she finished.

"You don't have to lie, Erica," Derek semi-scowled her. It occurred to Paige that she had never seen Derek acting like this before… all… suave and seductive. "What does it really taste like?'

Her throat constricted, visibly. "It tastes like blood," she admitted.

Derek just observed her for a bit and the girl began to squirm. Paige frowned. He was making her so nervous – she could _feel_ her heartbeat from here. Finally, he said, "What if I told you, I could make this all go away?" Her eyes grew wide. "The side-effects," he purred. And then his hand slid up her calf. Paige felt her hands clench. "The symptoms. All of it," he said. And then suddenly, his hands circled her ankles and yanked her forward. They were nearly nose-to-nose. "And what all those things not only went away, but everything else," he paused to push some of her golden blonde hair behind her ear. This time Paige's claws broke the skin of her palms. "Got even better," he finally concluded.

Paige took a deep breath and looked away. She really didn't want to see this. She really didn't want to be here.

Suddenly the conversation they had had in his car the night before came running back to her – he had said that he didn't want to lead her on. Was this what he meant? She had never seen him like this – ever. Ever, ever. She wouldn't have even believed he was capable of acting like this. Even when he had kissed her – or made out with her or whatever, it had been rough. It had been harsh and by no means was she complaining but… it was much different than how he was acting now. He had been gentle with her once – when her brother had nearly gotten killed, he had held her. At some level, she had liked that more than the rough make-out session.

Paige barely heard Erica ask, "How?"

However, her ears were particularly sensitive to Derek's voice and she easily caught him saying, "Let me show you."

"I'll wait outside," Paige announced. And before he could tell her otherwise, she was out the door and in the hall. Through the door she heard him explain about the werewolves, the hunters, everything the girl needed to know. And Paige heard her agree to the bite.

She needed to breathe, she realized. What she truly and desperately needed was a good gulp of breath because something in her head wasn't right. Something wasn't clicking in the way it should have been and she realized what it was.

For the first time in her life, she was jealous.

And for a moment, she couldn't believe it. Paige had never been the jealous type and part of her wanted to blame it all the wolf, but she knew that wasn't the case. It was the way Derek was talking to Erica – even though at some level she knew that he was just trying to make the bite seem more appealing. Paige wanted him to talk to her like that. And… she knew he never would. There was always going to be something holding him back. His own issues, the fact that the man in there wasn't the Derek she knew. It just wasn't the way he was – the way he acted, the way he thought. Maybe, under all kinds of layers, he was like that. But she knew she'd never get the chance to see it. He would hold back with her because he was scared of "ruining" her.

That made her sad.

It made her want to break every single layer of Derek-exterior and find the man inside.

And then the door opened. "It's done," Derek announced. He frowned at her. "You're jealous."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she shot back, pushing passed him.

Erica was reclining on the hospital bed, her gown pushed up right under her breasts. At least she was wearing underwear. But when Paige noticed where Derek had bit her – right on the hip – a little bit of that nasty old thing called jealousy worked it's way up her throat. The girl was heaving a bit, fingering the bite mark.

"You okay?" Paige asked the girl, coming to stand beside her.

"Yes… I feel…" the girl gave a moan that was more pleasure than pain.

Paige raised her eyebrows and glanced at Derek, mentally asking, "What did you do to this girl?" Instead she turned back to Erica. "Yeah, pretty cool, huh?"

"That's what happened to you, isn't it?" Erica asked. "You got bit by a werewolf and suddenly you were… so much better." A huge smile tugged her lips ear to ear. It did wonders in lighting up her face. "I'm going to be so much better," she said. "So, so, much better."

Before Paige could reply, Derek placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have to get back to Isaac," he told them. "Tie up everything here and come home." She knew what home he meant.

And then he was gone.

"Was he the "cute boy"?" Erica asked. Already her eyes were lighting up – not glowing the signature yellow, but they had a new life in them.

"The cute boy?" Paige poked her head out the door to make sure she could get the girl back to her room.

"The one you were texting," she explained. "And who's Isaac?"

"Uh, yeah, he was the one who was texting me that day. And Isaac Lahey is another pack member. He, Scott McCall and I guess, Jackson Whittemore were all bitten. Only Isaac and I are part of the pack though." Paige returned to Erica's side and said, "Lie back down. I'm taking you back to your room." Sharpening her senses, she made sure to avoid anyone who might stop them. Once she had Erica back where she was supposed to be, Paige asked, "What now?"

Erica flexed in her bed a bit. "I get to wait for my doctor to come waltzing in here and tell me that I need to take my medication, blah, blah, blah." The blonde gave a sly smile. "But that's not a problem anymore, now is it?" She let out another moan that nearly turned into a howl.

"Nope," Paige returned the smile.

"Did you tell him about me?" Erica asked, reclining a bit and snuggling her body into the soft mattress.

"About you?"

"Did you tell him that I needed the bite?"

She shrugged. "I told him that you had a lot of potential," she said honestly. "I figured if you were free of you epilepsy, you'd feel a lot better. I know the bite didn't instantly change me – my personality. It was more of… dealing with all the things that happened later." She gave a brief recount of the month prior and Erica listened avidly. "That was more of what changed me than anything else. But you," Paige smiled. "You seem to have taken the bite to heart already."

One more, she stretched her body out like she had only just recently been introduced to it. "I feel reborn," she purred.

Just then, her doctor arrived and Paige was ushered from the room. "I'm actually going to peace out," she told Erica. "You seem like you're fine. I'll bring you to the… meeting place tomorrow."

And then she was on her way back to "the… meeting place".

"I heard everything went off without a hitch," Isaac said as Paige came hopping down the stairs.

"Yup, Erica is perfectly fine – better than ever, the way she keeps smiling." Derek was nowhere in sight, but she could hear the pulsing of his heart in his train car. Paige sat down and asked, "Should we work out our story?"

And work out their story they did. It was established that Isaac's father hadn't wanted them to date and so they never hung out in public. Yes, his father was abusive and yes, Paige had known about it. The night they got in an argument, it had been about the D in chemistry and Isaac had fled to a parking lot, where he met Paige. They went to the Hale house. He was with her the entire night. Done. Perfect. No way for anyone to contradict it. Now, all Paige had to do was tell her father and talk to the police.

"I broke out of jail," Isaac reminded her. "I feel like that counts against me."

"There was a hunter, right?" Paige murmured. "And he was dressed like a cop?" At Isaac's nod, she decided, "Say that he told you that you were free to go. You had no idea he wasn't a real cop. The police still can't figure out what he was doing there."

"Okay," the boy said. He nodded and stood. "I'm gonna crash."

"One more thing – my parents expect you over for dinner eventually," Paige half-joked.

"Your mom a good cook?" he wanted to know.

"Are you kidding me?" Paige laughed a little. "My mother doesn't cook. That's _all_ me."

"I feel like I should be afraid…"

She winked at him. "You should be very afraid."

The kid laughed and disappeared into his little corner of the warehouse.

Vaguely, it occurred to her that last month she never would have had the guts to wink at a boy like Isaac. Sure, it had been in a friendly way, but still. He was cute. Not as cute as Derek, but still… It was just weird, looking at her transformation. It was especially weird after watching Erica's own transformation.

Her spine gave a little shiver and she knew someone was looking at her.

"Hey Derek," she said.

"Erica adjusting well?"

"Very well," she shot back, suddenly very angry. "She is very well adjusted, I would say."

The alpha rolled his eyes and then muttered, "Don't overthink it," before he disappeared into the train car again.

What the fuck did that mean?

* * *

**Preview:**

**"I'm still going to try though," Erica had said.**

**"Try what?"**

**"To get into his pants. Mostly I'm just curious to see if he'd let me. If he doesn't, no harm – there are plenty of other men who'll want me now. And if he does… well – I imagine there's got to be some kind of place of honor for the girlfriend of the alpha." Erica had winked and walked away with a little chuckle.**

* * *

_As we're dancing cheek to cheek and the lights are laid low_

_I'll request this song for you, laying in the ground below_

_Once the song is over, it's time to go to bed_

_I'll leave him on the dance floor and return to you instead_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Haha, I'm super glad everyone is so excited for Erica. At this point she's my favorite female character in the series. I love everything about her transformation – I love her attitude, I just love everything about her as a person. Which is interesting, considering how this story kind of turned out.**

**Everyone was super excited for the bitch-fit between Paige and Erica, but I think at some level Paige is too… careful for that. She's smart and observant and picks up on a lot of things to the point where she chooses her actions and words very carefully. And I've never thought Erica had much maliciousness to her character. A lot of Erica's actions that are perceived as cruel (trying to steal Scott from Allison, bashing Stiles over the head) are kind of her stretching her wings and seeing how far she can take some things. She was either ignored or mocked by most of her classmates and right now she's not looking to make friends – but Paige was kind to her before the transformation and told Derek about her. Essentially, Erica kind of owes her and right now she doesn't know that Paige has feels for Derek. It's all kind of less of a bitch-fight and more of a misunderstanding and a bit of resentment. Yeah, they're she-wolves but they're also women and women are super passive-aggressive by nature.**

**So, that's kind of my take on it all.**

**Just to let you know, from this point on the action picks up. There's a lot more pack and a lot more Derek and a lot more romance.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_There is love in your body but you can't hold it in_

_It pours from your eyes and spills from your skin_

_Tenderest touch leaves the darkest of marks_

_And the kindest of kisses break the hardest of hearts_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"Erica adjusting well?"**

**"Very well," she shot back, suddenly very angry. "She is very well adjusted, I would say."**

**The alpha rolled his eyes and then muttered, "Don't overthink it," before he disappeared into the train car again.**

**What the fuck did that mean?**

* * *

When Paige got home that evening, she found her father's car in the driveway. Good. The moment she entered his home office, he asked, "How's your friend?"

"Erica?" Paige was floored for a bit, wondering how in the hell her father new that Derek had made a new werewolf out of the young woman, before she remembered she had checked in earlier that day. "She's fine. It was all a bit scary, hearing about her seizure. But the doctors checked it out and she'll be fine."

"Good, good, good," her father mumbled, turning his attention back to his paperwork. When she made no move to leave, he glanced up again. "Was there something you needed?"

Paige sat herself down in the chair across from her father's desk. "You haven't brought up the fact that the guy I recently told you I was dating is currently a fugitive accused of killing his father."

"I figured you were smart enough not to get mixed up in all that business," he shot back. But he still abandoned his paperwork for the time being. "The police would have wanted to talk to you. But Wyatt assured me that you knew nothing. Given the fact that you were recently caught in a lie, I had hoped you wouldn't be foolish enough to try to lie again. So, I trust you. And I trusted that if you knew something, you would have come to me immediately."

"I didn't hear about Isaac being arrested until after he had already escaped," Paige began. "I didn't know if I should say anything after that – if it would have even made a difference. He was with me that night – the night his father died. I don't know when his dad was killed, but from about seven in the evening to when I came home the next morning, he was with me."

He father stared at her for a long while. But when he sighed, she knew she had gotten Isaac off the hook.

* * *

Isaac was in class the next day. The boy came right up to her locker, a big smile on his face. "You, dear lady, are a miracle worker," he announced, wrapping an arm around her.

"I did what I could," she mumbled. Her words were a bit garbled on account of the fact that her nose and mouth were pressed into his jacket. It was only then that she realized he was rather tall – maybe even taller than Derek. But Derek was more muscular, where Isaac was lean and lanky.

Gratefully, he released her and was about to say something when he suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted to the side. Paige turned to find her locker buddy staring at the two of them. Isaac gave the boy a predatory grin and swung his arm back around Paige's shoulder. When the wolf started baring his fangs at the kid, Paige nudged him and the locker buddy went scuttling away.

"That was unnecessary," she commented, pulling herself from Isaac's grip.

"Your brother blabbed to Jackson, who blabbed to the whole lacrosse team, who blabbed to the whole school," Isaac explained. "Everyone think's we're dating and seeing as our secret rendezvous' are the only thing keeping me out of jail right now, I would prefer to keep up this charade… unless of course, you'd rather it be Derek pretending to be your boyfriend…"

For the first time in a long time, her face flushed a nasty red.

"He came to watch over me during the full moon," he continued. "I could smell you all over him."

"I…" Paige shook her head. "That was the moon." It wasn't. It truly wasn't, but Paige wasn't ready to talk about it. Even just thinking about Derek and that little make-out session and then… Erica, was a little too much right now.

Isaac looked like he was about to disagree, but then once again something down the hall caught his eye. "Oh yes," he murmured. "She is very well-adjusted."

The girl turned. And speak of the she-wolf - there was Erica. The girl was rocking animal-print high heels, a tight short skirt and a leather jacket. And she had makeup on. Paige smiled a bit as she watched heads turn to stare at the other girl. Erica, to her credit, was strutting down the hall like a badass motherfucker. Paige's transformation had been almost entirely a survival instinct, gaining confidence and strength from events no high school student should ever have to face. And after dealing with all of that, it was no surprise that eventually the confidence was translated into her human life. It seemed Erica had completely embraced the transition and Paige was glad for her. Her shy little friend really had become so, so much better.

She strode right up to the rest of the pack and smiled. "Hello," she purred.

"Looking good," Isaac commented.

"Oh, I know," she shook her hair a bit. Then she turned to Paige. "I'm sorry, but I can't sit with you at lunch," she said. "Derek is taking me out to lunch." Her head cocked a bit and Paige sharpened her senses to hear the sound of a car honking. "And there he is," Erica winked at the two of them. "See ya!"

And off she flounced.

The wolf beside her leaned in close and whispered, "I can feel the jealousy radiating off of you."

Paige nudged him in the side a bit. "C'mon, boyfriend, you're sitting with me today."

* * *

Later that day, Paige found herself in the hideout. No one was there, but she had brought her backpack and thought she could get some work done.

Isaac had told her that since both his parents were now dead, the state had considered sending him to a foster family. But, they then reconsidered because he was already sixteen and his birthday was less than a year away as it was. So, he had returned to his own house with the promise of visiting the hideout whenever he had the free time. Apparently, he currently did not have the free time – which made sense: it was lacrosse practice time.

Erica had thrown some hints of her own around about her family life. Mostly resentful comments about her father abandoning her and her mother and then some nasty remarks about how her mother was pretty bored of her – especially with her epilepsy. Paige figured eventually Erica would make the hideout her home away from home, like Paige had. Not that Paige was all that eager to see the girl… she could use a break from the constant discussion of Derek this and Derek that. Paige didn't want to think about Derek.

Later, during school, Erica had stopped at the older girls locker. She had just gotten back from lunch. "He was a lot gruffer today," she had pouted. "Is he always that moody?"

Paige had just shrugged. "Moody is standard Derek behavior. It's very difficult to tell what he's thinking."

"I'm still going to try though," Erica had said.

"Try what?"

"To get into his pants. Mostly I'm just curious to see if he'd let me. If he doesn't, no harm – there are plenty of other men who'll want me now. And if he does… well – I imagine there's got to be some kind of place of honor for the girlfriend of the alpha." Erica had winked and walked away with a little chuckle.

Paige remembered the shot of jealousy and anger that had shot through her with that comment. It hadn't occurred to her that the other girl might want Derek, not for Derek's sake, but for the status of being the alpha's prime bitch. It wasn't like Derek himself wasn't a prize – he was one hot motherfucker and even though sometimes he forgot that speaking in words and not grunts would make more people understand him, he was still a pretty decent guy. Part of Paige was really irked that Erica only wanted him for the status… but another part of Paige understood what she was doing. She was testing the waters – seeing who was interested in her now and how far she could take certain men. And honestly, the little display Derek had put on the night he was going to give her the bite had definitely put some ideas in the girl's head.

And it wasn't like Erica knew that Paige and him maybe kinda had a thing. Maybe. Big emphasis on the maybe. Surely Erica would follow girl code and back off if Paige set her straight?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she turned her attention back to her laptop. Her history teacher was expecting a five-page paper by the next day and Paige had kind of been putting it off.

Hours later, she was just finishing up when the door creaked open. Paige had heard him pull up in his car, so she'd been expecting him.

"You smell like winter," she said. Half a heartbeat later, she realized she sounded vaguely like a nagging girlfriend asking where her boyfriend had been all night.

"You smell like Isaac," he shot back, whipping his jacket off.

"He's taking the role of my pseudo-boyfriend pretty seriously," Paige shrugged and set her laptop aside. "Who knew he'd be so clingy…"

Derek's low warning growl silenced her. When he saw she wasn't going to speak again, he informed her, "I was at the ice rink. Erica mentioned something and I decided to check it out."

"I guess that gave you a break from checking her out," she said lightly.

Why did she say that? Why did that come out of her mouth? Oh, she felt so pathetic.

His mouth opened briefly and then shut with a distinct click. He rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you want to hear the news or not?" Paige said nothing. "Erica mentioned a possible pack member – Boyd. He's a loner, and he's very strong and muscular. Apparently, she used to sit with him their freshman year. He was new to Beacon Hills last year and is still desperate for friends."

"And you talked to him?"

"Yes," Derek sighed and sat down. "He seemed willing enough. And he seemed like a good candidate."

"But you didn't change him tonight?" she asked.

"No, he asked for a night to think it over." He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at Paige with an exasperated expression.

Paige ignored it in favor of asking, "Will this be the last one? You said only two more."

The alpha suddenly stood and began to pace, muttering, "Yes, four should be enough…"

"And you've totally discounted Jackson at this point?"

"Entirely," Derek said. "Even if the bite had worked, you were right – he wasn't going to ever be part of the pack. He said he had his own agenda." He seemed rather distracted.

"Are you okay?" she finally asked, getting annoyed. She had never seen him this agitated before.

"You smell like Isaac."

"And you smell like winter. We've established that." But still, she stood up and crossed her arms.

"I can't concentrate with you smelling like Isaac," he damn near complained.

Her eyebrows shot up and she argued, "He's my pack mate. We spend time together. Our scents are going to intermingle."

"Not like that," he gestured to the girl. "You're not experienced enough to know the differences between scents. The way you smell right now is very indicative of being touched – repeatedly and for a long period of time." He approached the girl and dug his forefinger into first her right shoulder and then her left. "Touched here, and here," he said. "And here." He poked her left bicep. "And here." He poked her left forearm. Then his head came up and cupped her cheek. "And here."

Paige gulped. Part of her wanted to pull away and snark something about not overthinking it. Another part of her – the larger part of her, wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to realize that he was jealous of Isaac the same way she was jealous of Erica and she wanted him to not overthink it and she wanted him to kiss her with the kind of tenderness he'd withheld from her before.

So, she remained frozen.

Finally, he just scowled and pulled away, snapping, "Take a shower or something next time."

"Yes sir," she shot back and collected her things.

What an ass.

* * *

Paige was sitting in her English class when she got the text – meet at the ice rink during lunch. Fine. Do-able. Whatever. She slammed her phone into her purse and pouted a bit. This wasn't anything she wanted to be doing today but at least this would be the last time.

After this, the pack would be complete.

The ice rink was completely empty – not that she expected people to be there during school hours. The school may have an off-campus lunch option but that didn't mean people used it to come to the ice rink. She quickly sniffed out Derek and Isaac. Erica was apparently taking her sweet time.

They and a boy she vaguely recognized from school were standing in a circle. The boy – who must be Boyd – was holding up his camouflage hoodie and the scent of blood was thick. It had already been done.

When he realized that their newest addition was a girl, he dropped his hoodie in some show of modesty.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Boyd, this is Paige," Derek introduced.

She shook his free hand. "Welcome to the club," she smiled.

The new wolf allowed a small smile to stretch across his face. "Thank you," he said simply.

"If we've tied everything up here, we should actually go eat lunch," Paige suggested, looking to Derek for approval. He hesitated, but eventually nodded. "There's a nice diner around the corner."

"Be careful," Derek warned. "The hunters already have Isaac on their radar. To see you four together will spark their interest."

"Stop being such a sourwolf," Erica pouted as she came into sight. "We'll be just fine. We can take care of ourselves."

The alpha didn't even bother to argue. But as they peaced out, he still shot Paige a warning look. She shrugged it off – still angry about the night before.

It was beta-bonding time.

* * *

It was Paige's suggestion that Boyd not return to school for the day – in case the bite went sour. He did insist he still go to work later that day and since it seemed like he needed the money, she let him go. It was weird – at lunch they had turned to her for a lot of answers. It seemed that having been bitten first, and being the oldest, meant she was a bit of a role model for them.

"Derek's going to turn Boyd, isn't he?"

Wow, she hadn't even noticed Scott and Stiles appear next to her in the hallway.

Paige stared at them for a second – well, glared at Stiles and stared at Scott to be perfectly honest. This was… not the situation she expected to be in. She hadn't realized Scott was that against people being turned. Honestly, she liked the kid. He was kind, loyal, righteous – all fine qualities. But pack business was pack business. And it was too late, besides.

"I can't talk about it," she said simply. And then she walked off.

In the distance, she heard Scott tell Stiles that that was all the proof they needed and that he was going to head to the rink after school and that Stiles should head to Boyd's house.

Her phone was out before she knew what she was doing. _Scott is going to the ice rink after school. Stiles is going to Boyd's house._

Two minutes later, she got Derek's response. _Tell Erica to stall Stiles at Boyd's house. You and your boyfriend – come to the rink immediately after school._

"There's going to be a fight, isn't there?" Erica asked. "I don't want to miss a fight…"

"Then just – I don't know, knock Stiles out and then come to the rink," Paige suggested when they all met at her locker before the last period of the day.

"You don't like Stiles very much, do you?" she asked. "Why?"

Paige was about to answer when her bones went cold. Frowning, she glanced around and… there was the mysterious presence. Down the hall, staring right at her was their new principal. The Argent who wanted to kill anything with claws. His eyes weren't exactly blue, but the icy feeling they produced made her shiver. Slowly, he tilted his head and gave her a little smile.

First things first: the pack. "Go to class," she told them. "I'll tell you about it later."

Isaac and Erica glanced between themselves and the older beta but eventually dispersed – luckily in the opposite direction as the smiling Argent. Paige was also supposed to go that way. But the girl's bathroom was just a bit past where Gerard Argent was standing.

The Argents had tried to kill Isaac, she remembered blankly.

This one thought that all werewolves were dangerous creatures that needed to be put down. Fine. She'd give him a reason to think she was dangerous. Her spine straightened and with a fiery purpose she stalked right past the smiling old man, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Two feet from him, she felt her wolf twitch and she knew her eyes were a fierce and proud yellow. The man's gaze flickered – ah, so there was a crack in his façade. Good. With grace, she turned into the girl's bathroom.

Oh yes, the she-wolf was dangerous.

* * *

They were waiting for Scott somewhere in the back part of the rink. Paige was sitting on the counter, bored and then Isaac spoke up, "You probably shouldn't provoke the hunters."

Paige glanced up at the beta at the same time Derek glanced at her. "What did you do?" he instantly asked.

"Nothing," she sighed.

"Eh, didn't look much like nothing," Isaac baited again.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Derek grit out.

Isaac smiled and said, "She caught the principal looking at us and sent us little pups scattering and then nearly turned the hallway into her own personal werewolf fashion show – all the while looking Gerard Argent directly in the eyes. It was pretty badass, if I do say so myself. But Gerard didn't look all that happy."

Derek's glare intensified and Paige forced herself to explain, "He was smiling at me. And it was a creepy smile."

"They didn't know about you before this!" Derek snarled, grabbing her shoulder.

"It's a matter of public record that I was the one who gave Isaac an alibi," she explained. "And the events of that alibi are also public record. Also, the night I was bit was the same night Gerard's granddaughter was trapped in the school by the alpha. I was later found, unconscious in the forest. That is also a matter of public record. He would have put the pieces together – if he hadn't already."

His grip tightened, but Erica's arrival made him let go completely. The blonde glanced between her alpha and her friend and finally she just shrugged. "You were supposed to stall Stiles," Derek scolded.

"I did. He's stalled. Now, I want a fight."

The clicking of an open door signaled them that their prey had arrived. But right before they entered the rink itself, Paige grabbed Derek's wrist, "If there is a fight – I will not participate. I'm not going to hurt this kid."

"Erica and Isaac can't do it without you," he told her simply.

"They'll have to," she shrugged.

A low growl left his throat and he ripped his arm from her grip. She trailed behind, keeping a reasonable distance from her alpha.

"If you're looking for friends," Scott was saying. "You could do… _a lot_ better than Derek."

"That really hurts, Scott," Derek said – announcing their presence. "I mean, if you're going to review me, at least take a consensus. Erica, how's life been for you since we've met?"

The she-wolf was busy twirling her hair. "Hm. In a word, transformative." And then she let out a fierce roar Paige hadn't thought she was capable of making.

"Isaac?" the alpha inquired.

"Well," he began. "I was a bit bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that I'm great." He smiled wide enough to show his fangs.

"Paige?"

Really, he should have known better than to ask her. Literally, it wasn't like they had just talked about not getting Paige involved…

"Well… considering the first time we met, you were breaking into my house to question me about seeing my first werewolf – life wasn't exactly the best. And right now, I'm staying out of it. Like I told you." Derek threw her a nasty look, which she ignored in favor of giving Scott a non-committal shrug.

"Hold on," Scott said. "This isn't exactly a fair fight."

Paige announced again, "I'm staying out of it," at the same time that Derek said, "Then go home Scott." With just a glance at the betas, Derek summoned them up to fight. They began stalking towards Scott and Paige just crossed her arms, hoping… well, she didn't know who she was hoping for.

But at some level, as much as she was growing fond of Isaac and Erica – she wasn't too surprised when Scott quite literally slid them back to Derek's feet. Those two still had a lot to learn.

"Don't you get it?" Scott said. "He's not doing this for you! He's just adding to his own power – it's all about him." Paige saw, from her position behind him, the muscles in Derek's neck clench in indignation. "He makes you feel like he's given you some kind of gift when all he's done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs!"

"It's true," Derek admitted. "It is about power."

Slowly, the alpha approached Scott and then… Paige watched as Derek kicked Scott's ass. Sure, Scott managed to get one hit in – which was more than Paige was capable of at this point, but still. The kid ended up on the floor, spitting out blood.

And then, Derek stepped on Scott's collarbone so hard that Paige heard a snap.

"That's enough," she said without really thinking it through. She should have known better than to question Derek's authority. He was the alpha, she was the beta. The dominance hierarchy was concrete but a big part of Paige remembered Derek before he was an alpha – when he slept on her floor and joked with her and listened to her counsel.

Derek glanced up at her and growled a bit, but after a moment he did let the boy go. As the alpha stalked away, Paige helped Erica up. Isaac was capable of standing on his own.

Instinctively, they returned to the hideout. But when they arrived, their alpha was nowhere to be seen. Erica sat down with a huff and no one spoke for a few minutes. Paige was busy wondering if she had overstepped some boundaries by telling her alpha what to do. Surely, she had. She had also probably overstepped some boundaries when she let her alpha get to second base with her.

"What Scott said…" Isaac trailed off.

"It isn't true," Paige shot back instantly.

"Are you sure?" Boyd asked. Great – the kid had only just gotten the bite and was having second thoughts.

With a sigh, Paige explained, "The only person Derek bit prior to learning that the hunters had decided on a free-for-all, was Jackson. And Jackson knew about wolves, knew about the hunters and had been practically begging for the bite – he also saved our lives when we were dealing with the first alpha… the crazy one. Derek isn't the kind of person to build up a pack just to build up a pack – regardless of what it does for his power.

"We all know that the Argents are a very real threat. They will chop us in half without a second thought. And before you three, it was just Derek and I. Scott's an omega – and therefore even less likely to survive. Derek and I never would have survived against the Argents so building up a pack was the only way – you see, we're stronger in packs. Not just the alpha – all of us. So the bigger the pack – yes, the more people in danger, but also the more likely we _all_ will survive.

"I knew Derek before he was an alpha – even when he was a beta he protected his own. He _will_ protect us. We just have to trust Derek," she concluded.

"Do you?" Erica wanted to know.

"Wholeheartedly," Paige said instantly. And it was true. Yeah, sure, sometimes he did things she didn't agree with. But he was still her alpha, still her mentor, still the man who sometimes pushed her up against walls and violated her.

The sound of the door opening cut the conversation short.

* * *

Paige was the last to leave. Her foot touched the first step and Derek's voice from inside his train car stopped her. "Come in here," he commanded.

Dutiful for the first time in a while, she entered the car. "Yeah?"

He had been lounging on his mattress with a book in his hand, but stood when she came in. "Did you mean what you said? To the other betas?"

"You… heard that?" His stoic look told her that yes, he had been eavesdropping. "Of course you heard… I meant it," she finally admitted.

With a scowl he argued, "You don't take orders well and you constantly question me."

"Derek," she sighed. "If I didn't trust you to keep us all safe, I would have bolted a long time ago." Paige shrugged. "Just because sometimes we don't see eye-to-eye doesn't mean I don't think you're a good leader – or a good person. Though… you are grumpy a lot. What was it that Erica called you? A sourwolf?"

"Stiles came up with it first," Derek finally muttered.

After a long moment of searching his face, Paige finally bit her lip, took a step closer to him and put her arms around his waist. It was odd to think that she had had this man's hand on her breast but she hadn't actually ever hugged him. When his arms slid around her shoulders, she knew she had done well.

"Spend the night," he whispered against her hair.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"If dealing with my father taught me anything, it's to not blame yourself," Isaac shrugged. That was the first time he had ever spoken of his abuse. "But, I have an idea of how you _might_ help…"**

**"What is it?"**

**Isaac grinned naughtily. "He needs to be laid." He nudged her shoulder and added, "Take one for the team, and we'll all be a lot happier."**

* * *

_There is love in your body but you can't get it out_

_It gets stuck in your head, won't come out of your mouth_

_Sticks to your tongue and it shows on your face_

_That the sweetest of words have the bitterest taste_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Oh Lord, the finale. The finale. I just can't…. The one thing I want to say is that I love Peter so epically and I'm so glad he's alive again.**

**Side-note, you people are absolutely amazing. All the awesome feedback I've been getting definitely makes writing and updating a very pleasant experience. So thank you all so much for your input and your feedback. I super-duper appreciate it.**

**I tried to upload this chapter yesterday - but, like, this website was being temperamental. **

**Adult warning: this story is rated mature for a reason.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Spilt bitter tears, I did this for you_

_Spilling over the aisle, the black and the blue_

_The sweetest submission, drinking you in_

_The wine and the women, the bedroom hymns_

* * *

**Previously:**

**After a long moment of searching his face, Paige finally bit her lip, took a step closer to him and put her arms around his waist. It was odd to think that she had had this man's hand on her breast but she hadn't actually ever hugged him. When his arms slid around her shoulders, she knew she had done well.**

**"Spend the night," he whispered against her hair.**

* * *

For a moment, she couldn't breathe. Her fingers dug into Derek's muscular back and the man pulled back a bit – Paige thought he was letting her go but then he pressed a kiss to her hairline. That right there nearly broke her resolve. She took a deep, deep breath and then she murmured, "I can't."

This time he truly let her go.

She couldn't see his face as he turned around and retrieved his book. But somehow, she knew that she had hurt him. And that was the last thing she wanted to do. Backtracking, Paige explained, "It's too soon since I was caught out. My parents are being especially wary."

Derek didn't say anything to that and then Paige's anger spiked.

Really? Really? First he's manhandling her against a wall, then he's telling her that he doesn't want to get involved with her and now he was asking her to spend the night. Did he not see how those were pretty mixed signals? And really, he knew she wasn't going to take any risks with her parents right now. What right did he have to get mad?

Paige didn't even waste her breath – she just left. Fine.

Don't overthink it.

* * *

A week passed without much drama.

Wyatt was back at school and Paige was practically his assistant – she helped him in and out of the car. He texted her if he needed any help. At one point the elevator wasn't working and he needed her to run around and find someone to fix it, or at the very least, get him out of the class he had been missing. In a few moments of frustration, Paige had angrily wondered why he didn't just ask his plethora of friends. And then she realized he was trying to act tough. It was kind of cute.

She was rather ashamed to admit it, but she had been avoiding the hideout. Like, seriously avoiding it. Like, she saw the pack at school but had yet to venture back under the station.

"Derek is especially grumpy," Isaac commented, finally.

The two of them had been walking down the hall together and he slipped an arm around her shoulders. Paige ignored the looks other kids were giving them.

"Why do you think I care?" she asked. Even though, let's be honest – she cared. She cared too much.

"Well, you can pretend like _you_ don't care, but we both know you do." Isaac tightened his grip a bit. Assface, observant wolf pup. "Also, when mommy and daddy are fighting it's usually the kids who suffer."

And then the boy let her go and dropped off into his next class.

For a moment she just gaped at him, but slowly a smile slid across her face. Yeah, she was slowly becoming very, very fond of Isaac and Erica and Boyd.

All four of them were so different and yet they worked so well together. Paige was the older, more experienced one who usually just stood off to the side and smiled. Isaac was the youngest of the bunch and more than often acted his age – making clever quips and always being the first to volunteer for a fight. Erica was a volcano in heels – usually simpering and following the boys around like a shadow, but when she wanted it to happen, she'd just explode with energy of both the vicious and the sexual kind. Boyd was the rock. If Paige was standing off to the side – he was standing in the background. But sometimes he'd open his mouth and say something so cutting and so hilarious that the pack laughed until their stomachs hurt. Well, the betas laughed – but sometimes Derek cracked a smile.

Taking Isaac's words to heart, Paige dropped her brother off at home with every intention of going to the hideout. She'd been relying on avoidance for far too long. It was time to face her demons, or technically werewolves.

"There's a lacrosse game tomorrow night," Wyatt mentioned.

"Yeah?" Paige was shuffling around in the kitchen cabinets, searching for something to serve her brother for dinner. She yanked some bacon out of the fridge and decided on a bacon hamburger – her brother's favorite.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go?" he shrugged in his wheelchair. "You never really came to the games when I was actually on the team, but now that you would have someone to sit with, who actually knows the game and can explain it to you, I thought maybe you'd want to go. And… I'd like to have someone to sit with."

Pulling her head from the freezer, Paige turned to look at her brother. Then, she smiled and said, "I would like that. It'll be fun."

* * *

The hamburgers took a bit longer than she had hoped. Glancing at her watch, she gave a mental curse. The pack never kept a regular time in case of hunters, but they usually arrived at a similar time each day. Of course, she finally decides to come to the hideout and she arrives late. That was just Paige Flanagan's luck.

Entering the hideout, she glanced around. Boyd was in his usual spot, sitting on the bottom few steps. Isaac was trying and failing to charge the alpha. Erica was nowhere to be seen, but Paige could smell her.

"What did I miss?" she asked, coming to sit next to Boyd.

"Today or this week?" he asked, still watching Derek toss Isaac aside.

"In general."

"Nothing. Just Isaac getting his ass kicked."

"Well, that's a normal occurrence, I'd say." Paige watched Isaac get thrown to the ground again and commented lightly, "I wonder if he realizes he's just doing the same thing over and over again…"

Boyd turned to smile at her and Paige felt her heart warm. She remembered Erica mentioning that he was desperate for friends. And while he had consented to the bite, part of Paige was concerned that he had only done it to be part of a pack, not necessarily to be a werewolf. Erica had her epilepsy fixed. Isaac escaped his father. But becoming a werewolf didn't immediately give you friends. So, Paige was glad he was comfortable around the pack at this point. That meant he probably didn't regret his actions.

Paige turned her attention back to the sparring session in time to see Erica emerge. Derek had only just flung Isaac back onto the ground when the girl appeared above him and jumped down. Once again, Derek flung the beta to the ground.

Derek observed the two on the ground. There was a moment and then he clenched his jaw. He must be thinking the same thing that Paige was: these betas had a long way to go.

"Does someone want to try," he began, pacing away from the group. "Not being totally predictable?"

One second later, and Erica was kissing the man. She was on the floor, and then suddenly up in the air and then suddenly she had her legs wrapped around the alpha. Her hands dug into his hair to keep his mouth on hers and even from that distance Paige could see that he was kissing back.

Rage ripped through her and she instantly stood. To do what – she didn't know.

The kiss only lasted a second. Derek tossed her to the floor and wiped his mouth, declaring, "That's the last time you do that."

"Why?" Erica asked, pushing herself into a sitting position. "Because I'm a beta."

_No, sweetheart. That doesn't matter. I'm a beta too and he kissed me just fine – and I didn't even have to force myself on him._

Gripping the railing, Paige tried to calm herself down. She needed to focus and put things into a different perspective. A week ago, he had offered her the chance to stay with him and she had turned him down. If not immediately throwing Erica to the ground was his way of reminding her of that, Paige didn't appreciate it – but she couldn't do anything about it. She took a deep breath in through her nose and relaxed.

Boyd came to stand next to her.

"No," Derek explained. "Because I have someone else in mind for you."

Paige wasn't even about to process that. Let the alpha have his own little alpha plans. She didn't care.

"Are we done?" Isaac asked, sitting up. "Cause I've got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal."

Derek made a sympathetic face and for a second, Paige knew what was going through his head. That face meant bad news. He came to kneel beside the beta and reached a hand out for his wrist. "Here?" he asked.

Isaac, poor, stupid Isaac, gave his arm over to the alpha.

The crunch that rang out as a result made her jump.

"A hundred and one," Derek said simply. Paige was across the room before she knew what she was doing. She knelt on the other side of Isaac and reached her hand out to touch Derek on the shoulder, sheltering the beta from his alpha. At this distance, she could smell Erica all over him. She finally knew what he meant about scent created by contact. And she didn't like it. Derek grabbed her wrist and flung it away before turning back to Isaac. "You think I'm teaching you how to fight, huh? Look at me! I'm teaching you how to survive."

Then he released the boy and backed away. He avoided Paige's gaze.

After a brief pause, Paige helped Isaac into a sitting position. "If they wanted us dead, why aren't they coming for us now?" he demanded of Derek's retreating back. "What are they waiting for?"

The alpha turned around. "I don't know," he admitted simply. "But they're planning something. And you, especially know that that's not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac's father, I think it killed someone else last night." That was new to Paige. "Until I find out what it is, you all need to learn everything I know." He turned around again. "As fast as I can teach you," he muttered – mostly to himself. And then he disappeared into his train car.

All at once, the betas dispersed. It seemed Derek was especially grumpy and no one wanted to stay and deal with it… Except Paige. It was always Paige. Doing her duty as the oldest beta, she walked them out.

"Told you he was grumpy," Isaac mumbled.

"I'm sorry he did that to you," Paige apologized. It wasn't really her fault that Derek had broken Isaac's wrist, she knew that, but she still felt like if communication between her and the alpha was better, he wouldn't have taken his frustration out quite as violently. But he had a lot to be frustrated about, she knew.

"If dealing with my father taught me anything, it's to not blame yourself," Isaac shrugged. That was the first time he had ever spoken of his abuse. "But, I have an idea of how you _might_ help…"

"What is it?"

Isaac grinned naughtily. "He needs to be laid." He nudged her shoulder and added, "Take one for the team, and we'll all be a lot happier."

With a giggle, because she truly couldn't take that suggestion seriously, Paige hugged the boy. After a hardy squeeze, they went their separate ways. Before she opened the door into the hideout, she paused to take a deep breath through her nose… Yup. Mission accomplished. She smelled obnoxiously like Isaac.

Making a beeline for the train car, she found Derek rummaging through his leather trunk. He gave a little sniff and she knew he could smell Isaac on her when he paused his rummaging.

"That was kind of unnecessary," she commented lightly. "In case you've forgotten, he's a victim of abuse."

"I had to prove a point," he said over his shoulder.

"You could have proven your point without breaking his wrist."

Derek turned fully around. "You could have proven your point without hugging him."

Her eyebrows shot up and her inner she-wolf growled a bit. "You could have proven your point without kissing Erica."

"_Erica_ kissed _me_," he growled, haunches raised. "And I put an end to it."

Paige just rolled her eyes and muttered, "Not soon enough." And then she turned to leave. She was barely out the door when she groaned. Honestly, she couldn't leave it like this. At the very least, she owed it to the other pack members – she didn't want Derek taking his anger at Paige out on the youngsters. Slipping back into the car, she found that he hadn't moved. "What do you want me to do?" she finally just came out and asked.

Her question seemed to confuse him. "What do you mean?"

"You are an enigma wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in Derek-skin," she gestured to him. "So I usually have no idea how to deal with you. And the pack keeps telling me that you've been grumpy and maybe it's because of everything that's going on but I can't help thinking that you're pissed at me and taking it out on them…" When Derek said nothing she knew she was right. "I don't know how to fix that without first fixing whatever's going between us. Whatever _that_ is…"

"You haven't been here this entire week," Derek began. "But I have had to smell you on Erica and Boyd and _especially_ Isaac. Do you know how frustrating that is?"

"Probably as frustrating as smelling you on them," she muttered.

He frowned as he took a step closer to her. But he didn't say anything. Paige took a step closer and repeated, "So what do I need to do?"

In an instant, his hand had reached around and grabbed a fistful of her hair. His lips were on hers but for the first time there were no fangs – no pain, no wolf. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to let him slip his tongue in. Oh goodness, this was just what she needed. She tilted her head to allow him better access to her eager mouth.

Briefly, he pulled away and took a deep sniff. "First – you need to stop smelling like another guy," he decided. Before she could react, he was peeling her jacket from her body and throwing it to the ground. And then her shirt followed it. His arms were around her almost instantly, kissing her again.

With a deep moan, Paige allowed herself to be guided down to the mattress. Lips were moving and she felt so hot, so good, so perfect, but something was wrong. And suddenly she realized what it was. Pulling back, she said, "You need to stop smelling like another girl." Her nimble fingers found the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. The fabric messed up his hair and giggling, she brushed it back into submission. With a growl in the back of his throat, Derek dipped down and bit at her neck.

Another moan escaped her mouth – this was easily becoming one of her favorite things ever. She shifted underneath Derek and somehow he ended up between her legs – pressing so sweetly. Her brain was so focused on the pulsing down below that she didn't notice his mouth working its way down until his fingers slipped into the top of Paige's bra and pulled it down a bit.

Her body tensed just as his mouth closed over a nipple.

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling away instantly.

Wow… when her wolf wasn't in control, her head was suddenly much clearer and her brain worked so much better. What… was she doing? She was lying underneath her alpha and he had pulled down her bra and was that okay? Was she okay with that? Was that something that she was okay with? Maybe she had just imagined this being very different… like, on her wedding night. But this felt good. She liked it… And wasn't that all that mattered?

Looking Derek in the eye, she made up her mind. Pushing a bit on his shoulder, she made him sit up. The disappointment in his face was evident, but Paige had made her decision.

Sitting up underneath him, she reached around and pinched the snap of her bra.

Instantly, his face lit up again and he pushed her back down. Her hands slid down his chest and brushed his pectorals, his abs and came to a stop at his jeans. For a moment she hesitated, but then his teeth sunk into her breast and she knew she wanted more – that she was ready for more. Her life had been so turned around recently – maybe her virginity should disappear the same way her ignorance to the supernatural had? She popped the button on his jeans and he growled against her chest. Impatiently, the alpha reached down and tugged at her jeans in response. When he finally snapped it open he paused and pulled away.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice thick with lust.

There was a impenetrable scent in the air. Paige wondered whether it was a wolf-thing or a sex thing, but it was so damn intoxicating.

She wasn't sure if asking this would ruin the mood, or if it was even appropriate, or if he wasn't exactly taking about this… but she asked it anyway. "Do you have a condom?"

Her heart jumped a little as a huge grin stretched across his face. She could honestly say that this was the probably the most relaxed she'd ever seen him. He looked like the twenty-two year old he was. And then her heart soared as she realized she had given him that – Paige Flanagan had made this man happy.

The kiss he gave her was answer enough.

* * *

"Stopped by the hideout this morning," Isaac mentioned as he walked her to her first class of the day.

"Yeah, and?" But Paige already knew what he was going to say.

"Derek seemed to be in a pretty good mood," the boy winked at her. "Oh, and his train car reeked of sex."

A blush slid across her face and she groaned a bit, "I really hope that that goes away before Boyd and Erica stop by."

"Especially Erica," Isaac threw in. "Can you imagine what she's do if she found out the same day she kissed him and got thrown to the ground, he made sweet, sweet love to you again and again and again?"

Paige sucked her teeth a bit and finally said, "It'll be fine. I promise, I won't let this affect the pack."

Those were probably famous last words but Paige was hoping she'd prove them wrong.

* * *

The pack was situated at their standard lunch table when all of their phones buzzed in unison. Paige whipped her phone out and read the text that simply said, _Stiles caught sight of whatever killed Isaac's father. Meet directly after school._

"Oh…" Erica purred. "I hope we get to see some action."

"You always want to see some action," Boyd said, a bit annoyed.

"And normally you can't handle what action you see," Isaac threw out, taking a sip of his soda.

"Isaac," Paige warned.

"I can handle myself just fine," Erica snapped back. There was a little bit of teeth in her voice. "At least I actually managed to surprise Derek."

When the male betas eyes lit up, Paige reached over and dug her claws into his thigh. He yelped, but eventually got out, "I'm pretty sure Paige managed to surprise him a bit more." She retracted her claws, the damage done, but continued to glare at the boy.

"What…?" Erica glanced between Isaac and Paige. The tension between the two was evident to any observer and then Erica took a big whiff of her friend. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and scrunched up her face. Finally she accused, "You didn't tell me. I thought we were friends, Paige, and you didn't tell me."

"I didn't know," she tried to explain. "It just kind of happened and it meant nothing," she tried to assure her. "And I promise it won't happen again."

Yup, those were famous last words.

Isaac leaned over as they walked into the station later that day. "You know, if you stay true to your word, Derek might break my _leg_ next time," he commented.

"My word?"

"You promised that you would never sleep with him again," he reminded her.

Shit.

"I did, didn't I?" Paige bit her lip and opened the door to the hideout. "Well, if he does break your leg then it'll be all your own fault – you're the one who spilled the beans." Side by side, they walked down the stairs to discover the fact that they were the last to arrive. As they rounded up, Derek appeared from his train car.

They made brief eye contact and the alpha nodded to her and then Derek got to business.

"I got the police report from the murder two nights ago," he announced. Apparently he had a thing about reading police reports… "Stiles was there. He had to have seen whatever it was and we need to talk to him. Any ideas?"

"The lacrosse game tonight," Isaac suggested. "I'll be there already."

"Me, too," Paige held up a hand. "But I'm taking my brother, so I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Probably as helpful as you've been in the past," Erica muttered.

Metaphorical haunches raised, Paige asked, "What does that mean?"

"When we were getting our asses handed to us by Scott, you just stood around and watched," Erica said. "Then you disappeared for a week, then suddenly you come back long enough to fuck the alpha and now you're back to being useless."

The air was thick with tension. And the whole pack glanced at Paige to see her reaction. She tried and failed to make her expression neutral.

"How did you hear about that?" Derek asked.

Isaac spoke up. "I smelled it when I came by."

"I can smell it _now_," Erica said. Everyone could smell it – the sweet and sticky scent of their actions the night before lingered in the air.

The alpha hesitated for a bit. "I didn't think you two had learned enough to discriminate between certain scents," he finally admitted. He glanced at Paige and she shrugged. Even she could smell it – loud and clear and she had to admit, it was a nice kind of smell. Instantly, she recalled the previous night's events. Her lower muscles twitched a bit.

Erica kind of tilted her head, taking that as a compliment. Isaac just sort of frowned.

"Regardless," Derek began. "She and I are both consenting adults and our activities will not affect the pack. It is not unusual for non-family based packs to have… intermingling. In short, this is none of your business and you will not discuss it again."

"Oh, I know we won't," Erica smiled. "According to Paige, it meant nothing and it won't happen again."

Paige felt her heart leap up into her throat. Yes, she had said that but she hadn't meant it. It was Paige's natural reflex to backtrack and recover from the judgment of the other girl. And at some level, she had been scared of hurting her feelings. She knew that Erica wanted to seduce Derek and the fact that Paige had essentially gotten to him first was bound to hurt her.

The look Derek gave Paige was… terrible.

It wasn't angry and it wasn't frustrated and it wasn't anything she would have expected and that hurt Paige the most. Anger she could handle. But at that moment, he just looked damaged. He looked injured and confused and his eyes were asking her what he had done wrong.

And then just like that, he shut down. Everything about him closed up and he simply said, "It did mean nothing. And it won't happen again. Now, let's get back to business."

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Well, first things first," Stiles spoke up. "You take him. You're a lot stronger than me and I've been holding us up for two hours." And just like that, Stiles transferred Derek into her arms. She barely noticed the added weight. All that mattered was that she could feel him, there, alive.**

* * *

_This is his body, this is his love_

_Such selfish prayers, I can't get enough_

_This is his body, oh, this is his love_

_Such selfish prayers, I can't get enough_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: Hey y'all! Still so amazed by all of your feedback. You're lovely.**

**I got a review and really wanted to respond, but I thought everyone else would also benefit from my thoughts on the review, so I'm adding it into the author's note. ButtercupluvsJACE mentioned that, "Its wrong I know, but I really hate Paige right now. Just sayin." And honestly, I love the fact that you hate her right now. If a reader loves a character absolutely throughout the entire story, I feel like the author is doing something wrong – especially if their main objective is to create a realistic individual. I spent my entire summer reading the Song of Ice and Fire books and if George R.R. Martin taught me anything, it was that a character that is multidimensional will always have things you love and things you hate. That man has not created a single character that I sometimes want to smack. Actually, I usually always want to smack his characters – and I love them for it. And so, I love you, Miss ButtercupluvsJACE because you hate Paige right now. It is absolutely not wrong to hate her, not one bit. Thank you.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_I was born in a big grey cloud_

_Screaming out a love song_

_All the broken chords and unnamed cries_

_What a place to come from_

* * *

**Previously:**

**It wasn't angry and it wasn't frustrated and it wasn't anything she would have expected and that hurt Paige the most. Anger she could handle. But at that moment, he just looked damaged. He looked injured and confused and his eyes were asking her what he had done wrong.**

**And then just like that, he shut down. Everything about him closed up and he simply said, "It did mean nothing. And it won't happen again. Now, let's get back to business."**

* * *

Paige couldn't concentrate as she drove home.

The rest of the meeting had gone by in a blur and she hadn't even let Isaac talk to her afterward. She assumed he had realized the consequences of blabbing something like that and was going to apologize. She had already forgiven him though, knowing that she only had herself to blame. Oh, and Erica. Erica was also capable of taking some blame. That bitch. It was difficult to smell Derek in the hideout, difficult to smell their actions from the night before. It was impossible to look at him and she had just wanted out.

She had wanted to do it again. So badly. And it hadn't meant nothing. She hadn't known how Derek had felt about it until now. And now that she knew… It wasn't just a fling, was it? Or maybe it had just _been_ labeled a fling because of her big annoying mouth.

There were tears falling from her face by the time she pulled into her driveway. Wyatt noticed them immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied. With the back of her hand she wiped them away and continued into the kitchen. The last thing she wanted right now was prying questions – even if they were coming from her beloved brother. So, she changed the subject. "You ready to go? I just want to grab a quick snack…"

Her brother kept his mouth shut until they were in the car. "Is it Isaac?"

"No."

"I could kick his ass," he suggested. She could have kissed him right there. "Well, give me a few months to heal but I'll kick his ass."

"It wasn't Isaac," she repeated a bit forcefully. "It was nothing. I'm just hormonal. Leave it alone."

"You can blame PMS all you want, I know something's wrong."

"Whatever," Paige scoffed a bit and turned into the parking lot. It was crowded with all the observers, but she found a spot. After helping her brother out of the car and into his wheelchair, she took a huge whiff of the night air, embracing her inner wolf. In the air she could smell Stiles, Scott, Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and… Derek. Her heart clenched and she tried to ignore it.

They'd talk later, she vowed. They would surely talk later and she would clear everything up and then they'd go back to the train car and she would kiss him and she would throw her head back as they made love again and again.

"I'll need to sit closer to the ground," Wyatt explained, rolling towards the bleachers. "Hope you don't mind."

Glancing up, Paige noticed that Erica and Boyd were situated in the middle of one crowd. "I do not mind that at all," Paige told her brother. The last thing she wanted was to sit next to that bitch.

Of course, part of her realized she was not being totally fair – Erica may have taken her hasty words and used them against her, but Paige had been the one to speak the words first. The blame could be shared. And then she just decided she was too angry to care. Erica was a bitch. Paige had been nothing but nice to that girl and she had betrayed her.

Halfway through the game, Paige had had enough of listening to Wyatt complain about the kid on the other team who was literally demolishing the crowd. Yeah, the kid was big – but he was no wolf. If Scott would play to his true potential, he could cream the kid in a heartbeat. She sighed, and looked around… to find Isaac sitting on the bench, watching her. He waved and she waved back. That was right, he had been benched on probation because he missed all those practices when he was a fugitive.

She wondered if she should go say "hi".

And then the lacrosse coach started calling for Stiles. When he didn't immediately appear, Paige realized he was probably being interrogated by Derek already. But she hadn't gotten a text… She pretended not to be offended.

When the coach couldn't find Stiles, he turned to the crowd and apparently found someone willing to be a stand-in player. "Nu-uh, Derek won't like this," Paige heard. Her body tightened and she turned around to find Boyd descending the bleachers anyway. She caught his eye and frowned, but the boy didn't take the warning.

This would not be good.

Slowly, she watched the situation go from bad to worse. Boyd jumped right into the game and damn near went crazy. The entire time, Paige was on the edge of her seat – prepared to jump up and tackle the kid if necessary. He knocked the opposing team's star player on his ass and even from this distance, Paige could see his eyes glowing. Scott approached the other wolf and Paige heard him warn the bigger kid that he was losing control and then – thank god, Scott provided the distraction she needed. From the bleachers, she heard the crack of bone, but as people rushed the field, she was more focused on finding Boyd.

She ignored Wyatt's call of, "Where are you going?"

Coming up behind Boyd, she dug her claws into his back and heard the _slick_ of nails breaking skin. He groaned and stretched to avoid the sharp nails an inch deep in his skin.

"What do you think you are doing?" she hissed in his ear.

"I just wanted to play," he yelped.

Her claws retracted and she frowned. "I know you want to play – try out for the team next year. Right now, you nearly put us all at risk. Gerard is in the audience – did you not see that?"

The crowd broke up as everyone realized that Scott was all right. Paige gave the boy one last frown and jogged back to her brother, who was pouting a bit. Boyd pulled himself out of the game. Erica was nowhere to be seen.

There were eyes on her. It was like a shiver snaking down her spine. Briefly, Paige glanced over to find Gerard staring down at her from his perch a few steps up. His face was neutral but Paige was still frightened. She tried to not let it show on her face and instead summoned the courage of her she-wolf. Slowly, she let her fangs grow and then she grinned at the man to show that she wasn't afraid. All he did was smile right back. Gerard broke eye contact first, choosing to say something to his granddaughter in favor of playing this silly game with a silly little girl.

"They didn't know about you before this!" Derek had said once. Well, that had only lasted for a while.

Sometimes Paige dreamed she and the pack could just relocate. Derek would just swoop down and carry them off to New York and they could live in peace without hunters and other terrifying creatures. But right now, that seemed even less like a reality. Mostly because Paige was certain she had officially fucked things up with Derek.

Shit.

Paige barely watched the remainder of the game and when it was all over, she was glad to be returning home. All she wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. They hadn't texted, so she figured her presence wasn't currently welcomed. Fine. So be it. Today had been stressful and terrible and she was exhausted. And worried. She knew she needed to talk to Derek but she didn't know if he would listen.

Frowning, she grabbed her phone and called her alpha. When it went straight to voicemail, she nearly growled and then stalked to the shower.

A cry-session would do her wonders, she decided.

But when she got out of the shower and wiped her eyes and toweled off and called his cell again and it went straight to voicemail _again_, she wasn't angry. She was nervous. Throwing her hair into a ponytail and haphazardly putting clothes on her body, she wondered what was wrong. Then, she locked her door and went out the window. On foot was much faster than her car, but there was no one at the hideout when she arrived.

Something was wrong.

Sprinting back to the school so that she could pick up his trail, she tried his phone one last time and still – nothing.

His scent was definitely at the field… but it wasn't very strong… in fact, it seemed a few hours old. But, she followed it anyways – up the hill, into the school and down into the pool. She had barely opened the door when two things became very obvious. One, Stiles was in the middle of pool, treading water and holding a phone to his ear. Then he frown at his phone and threw it away. Two, Erica was lying on the ground apparently very unconscious.

Despite her earlier anger, Paige was instantly worried for the girl.

"Paige!" Stiles noticed her. "Get in the pool!"

That… made no sense.

It started making sense when she heard a roar from across the pool. There was a creature, lizard-like and creepy and it just… smelled wrong. When it caught sight of her, it began to stalk around the pool. Get in the pool, Stiles had said. What the heck would the water do to prevent this lizard thing from coming near her? Nothing – that was what. Couldn't lizards swim? Lizards just seemed like they would do well in water, didn't they? But, Stiles hadn't been eaten yet – so that was something.

Paige backed up, trying to keep the creature on the direct other side of the pool. But, it was gaining speed.

"Jesus, Paige! Just get in the pool!" came Stiles' shout.

But she just kept moving, wanting to escape this monster. Where was Derek? His scent was here, in the air – he had been here. She needed him to be here.

"Get in the pool! Now!" was Stiles' next shout.

And then the creature was nearly on her.

Without much consideration, she dove straight in. Bracing herself, she waited for the creature to come splashing in after her – but it didn't.

When she resurfaced, she asked, "Where's Derek?"

Stiles' eyes went wide. Instantly, he dove back under the water and resurfaced with Derek, but… the alpha wasn't moving. How long had he been under there? "What had he been _doing_ under there?" was the better question.

Swimming like it was a matter of life and death – which it kind of was – she reached the boys. The creature wasn't even present in her mind as she cupped Derek's face with her hands. "Derek?" she asked. "Derek, wake up. You have to wake up now – please wake up now."

Oh God, could a werewolf drown? Should they do CPR? Glancing around, Paige noticed that the creature was avoiding the water… so, they were safe now but if they tried to get Derek onto solid ground and give him CPR that monster would get them all. But maybe… if she fought the creature, Stiles could give him CPR and then Paige would be dead, but it was worth it if Derek lived.

Her grip on his face tightened and she felt tears mingling with the chlorine water on her face. What the fuck? What was she supposed to do? She was utterly lost without her alpha… without her Derek. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. It was supposed to be in a flurry of bullets, fighting that asshole Gerard Argent. This was just… He didn't deserve to die just because Stiles had forgotten him. Fucking Stilinski.

And then suddenly, his body convulsed and he coughed up some water – right onto her face. But she didn't care. It was the best sound in the world. His breath was labored but Paige still allowed a smile to grace her lips. He was back. Of course, a little bit of water couldn't kill him.

When Derek finally opened his eyes, she knew it was going to be all right.

"Paige?" he asked, his voice more than hoarse.

"Hey," she smiled. "You weren't answering my calls. I'm afraid I momentarily turned into some kind of stalker chick and decided to go track you down," she teased. "What's going on?"

"Well, first things first," Stiles spoke up. "You take him. You're a lot stronger than me and I've been holding us up for two hours." And just like that, Stiles transferred Derek into her arms. She barely noticed the added weight. All that mattered was that she could feel him, there, alive.

"Tell me you got Scott," Derek finally said.

Stiles winced a bit. "No… he answered but immediately told me he couldn't talk."

Derek cursed, but Paige was more focused on asking, "Why can't you move?"

"Whatever that thing is, it has some kind of toxin in its claws," Stiles said. "It paralyzes. Scott's boss explained it – the thing scratches it's victim on the neck and paralyzes them first and then kills them. See the things you miss when you don't sit with us at lunch?"

"I'd rather sit with the pack," she muttered angrily. She shifted a bit and took a look at the back of Derek's neck. A jagged little cut was only half-healed. Suddenly, she exploded with anger. "He's paralyzed!" she shouted. "He's paralyzed and you thought it was a good idea to let go of him in a _pool_! Do you enjoy being on my shit list? Is that it? And not just let him go – you sat there gaping like an idiot while I was running around the fucking pool!"

"You weren't getting in the water!" Stiles argued.

"Would the two of you stop?" Derek snarled.

Paige tightened her grip on the man, enjoying the feel of him under her fingertips and mumbled, "Sorry." Then she got back to business. "So, Scott's not coming?" Stiles shook his head. "Okay… Isaac and Boyd are already home. I could call them but… my phone was in my pocket when I jumped in. Okay, so they're therefore unreachable. Erica is knocked out. Why hasn't he gone for her yet?"

"No clue," Stiles shrugged.

"Then let's assume she's safe for now – but maybe not when she wakes up…" Paige thought long and hard and finally decided, "I can lead it away."

"No," Derek snapped.

"I know I can't fight it – that would be stupid," she argued. "But if I can get it away from here, you guys will be safe."

"And you'll be dead," he shot back.

"You don't know that – I said I can't fight it, but I bet I could out-run it," she said. "And if I could get to Scott, or Isaac, or Boyd before it got me –"

"Do you hear how you're talking?" Derek asked. ""Before it got me"? It's a suicide mission and I'm not letting you do it."

"How long do you intend to stay here?" she shook him a bit, even though she knew he couldn't feel it. But his head still jiggled left and right as she moved his body. "Until your paralysis wears off? How long will that be? Until some poor sap stumbles in and gets eaten by that thing? Until Erica wakes up – totally unprepared for that creature - and gets eaten? I can get to Isaac's house from here. I can divert it and buy you guys some time."

"The only person who can reasonably fight that thing is me!"

"And you can't do that right now! Besides – you're the alpha. They need you. They don't need me. I'm expendable! _Let me do this!_"

"You are _not_ expendable!" he shouted. "And they do need you!" Panting, he looked her right in the eye. In a quiet voice he added, "I need you."

Oh God. That… that broke her heart. That just absolutely broke her heart. Especially considering that it did nothing except cement her desire to drive that creature away so that they could get to safety. Vaguely, she recalled a memory. It was during her first full moon and she had asked if she would grow a tail. Derek had laughed his ass off. That was the image she held in her head – his head thrown back, all his straight white teeth showing, as his eyes crinkled and his body shook. That was the face she wanted to see before she got out of this pool – not the one that looked so desperate for her to stay – eyes desperately begging for her not to go.

"I…" she couldn't get the words out. She had so much to say – but she was always the type of person who lost her nerve and began sobbing midsentence and she couldn't let herself do that right now. She wanted to tell him it didn't mean nothing and maybe she liked him a lot and maybe it was actually love and she just hadn't figured it out yet. But her breath caught in her lungs and she choked on everything bottled up inside herself. Taking a deep breath, she turned and searched for the monster. It was on the left side of the pool. She kept her gaze on it because she knew if she looked at Derek's face, she'd lose her nerve. "I'm sorry," she simply said.

She handed him over to Stiles, who accepted him without a word.

"Paige! No!" Derek called after her as swam for the right side of the pool. "Paige! Come back here! Don't do this! _Do not do this!"_

But she had already pushed herself out of the water and stood up. The creature noticed her and let out another roar. Bracing herself, she took off towards the back door. Her ears picked up the thing's movements but she realized it was already too late – she was too slow. How could she be too slow? She was a fucking werewolf – she was fast as all hell, typically. But this thing was apparently faster. It jumped clear over the pool and came skidding to a stop right in front of her.

Backing away slowly, she brought out her claws. If it wanted a fight, it would get a fight and this girl would go down swinging. She had people to protect.

A roar ripped from her throat.

It threw itself at her, claws out and ready to go. But Paige had seen the movement of his arms. After hours of watching and participating in hand-to-hand matches with Derek and the pack, she was quicker and sharper than she had ever been before. And she saw what was coming. Ducking, she avoided the creature and it tumbled right over her.

Whipping around, she was taken by surprise as his claws caught her in the flank and slashed from her right side to her left side. She cried out on instinct but also managed to step back before the talons had done the kind of damage that would have left her intestines spilling out.

Pain she didn't know existed flashed in her eyes. But slowly, it was replaced by something else… the toxin, she realized. It had infected her with its toxin and she was becoming as helpless as Derek. Sliding to the floor, she saw the shadow of the monster come to stand over her.

This was the end.

She wanted to say something. Her last words should be meaningful. They should be more meaningful than anything else she had said in her life, prior to this moment. But all she could think to say was, "I'm so sorry."

It seemed she would never be able to explain to Derek that last night had meant more to her than anything had ever meant to her. And she would never be able to tell Wyatt that, no, she was not dating Isaac Lahey. And she'd never be able to tell Erica that she was sorry they hadn't talked about the new development between her and the alpha. But they would understand, surely. They knew her better than anyone else and they would know everything she had meant to say. They would move on without her and Isaac would probably take her place as Derek's second-in-command and Derek… Well, the alpha would be sad. Probably. Most likely. Enough people had left him before – Paige wouldn't be the first and probably not the last. He'd mourn in his own way and get over it.

A growl from behind the monster echoed around the pool. She knew that voice. Scott had come through, oh my God; Scott had come to save them.

Another roar from the creature and suddenly it was no longer hovering above her. There was a series of sounds – as though the two were communicating. And then there was the sound of broken glass. But Paige couldn't tell who had been tossed. It hurt to breathe and while she couldn't move, the pain in her abdomen was still very much present.

The next thing she knew, glass was breaking above her and she just knew the monster was gone.

"Paige!" Scott came running over to her and slid her on her back. Ah, the monster had left through the ceiling. How… weird. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Taking a gulp of air, Paige said, "I'm fine. It got me, but I'll live." Then she tried to look out of the corner of her eye. "Where is Derek? And Stiles?"

"Right here!" Stiles' voice reached her. "Scott, could you help – I can't lift him."

Ten minutes later, Derek was able to walk again and Erica was awake. Paige was almost glad she couldn't move – it gave her an excuse for not looking the alpha in the eye when he came to stand next to her. After a moment of observing her broken body, he knelt down and lifted her up.

"Is she going to be okay?" Erica asked, coming to stand next to the two.

"I'm fine," Paige assured her when Derek didn't speak. "I'm just paralyzed."

"And that thing took a chunk out of your stomach," the other beta commented.

"Yeah, that too," Paige muttered.

And suddenly, Paige didn't even give a damn about her grudge. That was what life or death situations did to people – they put things into a better perspective and allowed them to move on. Paige was just glad everyone was alive.

Derek still didn't speak. He carried her straight out to his car and left her in the back seat. She didn't try to speak to him, either. He and Erica both disappeared for a bit and even though Paige could have heard what they were doing if she wanted to, she tuned it out. Just the fact that Derek wasn't talking to her – not to scold her, not to yell at her… it scared her. Anger was something she could handle – it was damn near a permanent part of Derek. This silence was deafening in comparison.

Erica was driven home because it wasn't safe enough for her to be alone.

And when they arrived at the hideout, Derek picked her back up and carried her right down the stairs and into his train car. He placed her gently on the mattress and pulled her shirt up a bit to expose the scratch. The mattress still smelled like sex. Had that only happened yesterday?

He left.

Even after the toxin wore off and Paige was able to sit up and check her wound on her own, he was still gone. Satisfied that the injury would be mostly healed when she woke back up, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Part of her wanted Derek to come back and join her. Another part didn't – not if he brought his silence with him.

When she woke up again, she felt at home. This was only the second morning in a row she had woken up in this place but it was more like home than her big empty house.

He was back.

She could feel him just outside the train car.

But when she came stumbling out, he didn't look at her. His gaze was on the opposite wall and he was tense all over. Finally, Paige opened her mouth to probably apologize again. But he spoke first.

"Don't come back," he said simply.

"What?"

_Oh, god. Anything but this. Yell at me. Scream at me. Throw me into a wall, cut open my belly. But not this._

"The other betas have been instructed not to communicate with you," he continued, his voice cold. "If the hunters come after you, I'm certain Scott will help you."

And then he crossed his arms, his body still so tense.

"You're throwing me out of the pack?" Her voice sounded distant in her ears and her belly hurt, and not just because of her wound. "What…? Why?"

But he didn't say anything. He just… kept looking at that wall.

Paige shut her eyes tightly to prevent tears from falling. And then, she straightened her spine and strutted right past Derek. Fine. Kick her out. She could survive just fine on her own. Besides, she had always known she was going to go back to Chicago. It was better this way – no need to say any goodbyes when she left.

Seven more months.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Is it them?" she heard someone ask.**

**And then Stiles' face appeared in the window and he nearly dissolved with relief. "It's our back up," he explained. After a series of rattles, and whatnot, the door was opened. "I love that you're here."**

* * *

_I know everybody lets you down_

_And I'll do the same_

_But know I'll always be around_

_This can remain the same_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Florence and the Machine.**

**A/N: This is a chapter. I wrote it. It's here. I'm currently writing the last chapter in this story. It's so cool.**

**College is terrible. Don't go. Don't ever go.**

**As always, I appreciate all the feedback! You're super awesome and I love you all.**

**Oh Lord, everyone was so mad at Derek! So mad! And after reading each review, I wanted to go, "Like, it's okay! I can explain, I promise!" And then I realized that his actions won't be explained until the chapter after this. So. Wait, please. And enjoy!**

**Always, always, always, enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_She told me not to step on the cracks_

_I told her not to fuss and relax_

_Well, her pretty little face stopped me in my tracks_

_But now she sleeps with one eye open_

_That's the price she paid_

* * *

**Previously:**

**But he didn't say anything. He just… kept looking at that wall.**

**Paige shut her eyes tightly to prevent tears from falling. And then, she straightened her spine and strutted right past Derek. Fine. Kick her out. She could survive just fine on her own. Besides, she had always known she was going to go back to Chicago. It was better this way – no need to say any goodbyes when she left.**

**Seven more months.**

* * *

Her home was quiet when she arrived. It was early enough in the morning that her parents were already at work and her brother was probably still asleep. Good. She didn't want to talk to anyone.

Sniffling, she slid up to her room and crawled into her bed. She would stay here. She would curl into a ball and stay here and no one would ever bother her again.

For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why he would jump to that extreme. He knew… he had to know the pack was her life. He had lived in her house with her and had seen the emptiness. He knew exactly how much this would hurt her. But he did it anyway.

Why?

Because she had insulted him by saying it meant nothing? Because she had disobeyed a direct order? It had all worked out in the end so he couldn't be too angry at her… right? Maybe this was a test, she realized. Maybe this was her punishment and she was supposed to cry and mope and then he'd show up later and ask if she had learned her lesson. And she would jump into his arms and tell him how terrible she was feeling and that yes, she had learned her lesson and she'd be a good little beta from now on. Yes… that made more sense.

When Wyatt came knocking on her door, she told him, "I'm sick. I'm staying home. Go away." Paige didn't even bother to open her door and face him.

"In case you haven't noticed," Wyatt's voice came from the other side of the closed door. "I'm kind of a cripple right now. I can't drive myself."

With a groan, she rolled over and threw open the door. "Fine…" she mumbled and pushed passed him. She skipped down the stairs and grabbed her keys from the hook in the kitchen.

Wyatt was a bit slower since he had to use the wheelchair lift on the stairs. They had installed it once they realized that it was more cost effective instead of one parent taking off work. But when the mechanical noises stopped, he rolled right up to her and asked, "Weren't you wearing those clothes last night?"

"I had a rough night last night," she snapped. "Leave it alone."

Once he was neatly bent into the car, he reminded her, "I can still kill Isaac. That's still on the table."

"You'd die trying, babe," Paige told him.

They continued the drive in silence, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. Paige didn't want to talk to anyone but without the conversation she was trapped in her own thoughts. She just kept replaying Derek's profile, so stubborn and so unyielding and so cold. It cut through her. But… she would be forgiven soon, she knew. It was a test. He'd let her come back.

She helped her brother out of the car and he made her bend over and give him a hug. "Cheer up," he said. Briefly, she thought the tears would spill then. But she gulped and forced them back.

For a moment she watched her brother wheel himself away, and then a scent hit her nose. God, it wasn't the most familiar scent she had ever encountered, but it was still a scent that brought back memories. Good memories. Across the parking lot, Isaac and Erica were walking side by side as Boyd trailed after the two as usual. Paige knew they could sense her. But not once did they look her way as the group marched into the school.

And that killed her.

It suddenly didn't matter that this was a test – because finally she realized that this might not actually be her test. And even if she was right – just that image of them walking passed her without ever acknowledging her was heartbreaking.

She began to cry.

Sobbing, she fumbled with her door handle and yanked it open. She cried in her car until the first bell rang. And then, she drove herself home and went back to bed because maybe this was all just a bad dream and she would still be part of the pack when she woke back up.

It didn't work.

But she hadn't really expected it to.

* * *

Her parent's were none too thrilled with the fact that she had ditched school – even after she had explained that she was very, very sick. They were also pissed that she had broken her cell phone. So, she was none too surprised when they insisted she go to school the next day. No excuses. No nothing.

And to nothing, she returned.

At least today she had a new IPhone. Small blessings, and such.

If seeing them in the parking lot had been painful – seeing them randomly in the hallway and in class was even worse. The smell was unbearable, especially in the earlier morning when Derek's scent was still fresh on their skin. Even a morning shower couldn't cover up the scent Paige was most intimately acquainted with.

"You can't do this!" Scott was suddenly next to her, shouting and frantic.

"Do what?" Paige asked, very confused. She really didn't want to be talking to any supernatural person right now.

Scott gave a frustrated groan. "Whatever you guys are going to do Lydia – you can't. Derek needs to let me handle this."

Oh. It was pack stuff. They were on the move, apparently. And Paige was no longer part of the pack. Did that make her an omega now? Or just a scared little wolf pup? Tears came to her eyes, unbidden once again and she forced herself to say, "I'm not with the pack anymore." The reality came crushing down on her as she realized this was the first time she had said that aloud.

"What?"

"I was… kicked out," she explained. "Whatever they're doing – whatever's going on, I have no part of it. I don't know what they have planned. I'm sorry." And then she shrugged and closed her locker and walked away.

In her next class, she contemplated what was going on. They must know what that creature was. They must know who it was. It must be Lydia. How interesting. She wondered when they had figured that out. Then, she pondered what they were going to do to the girl – surely they'd have to kill her. That was sad. But Paige didn't have it in her heart to feel sad for the girl – especially not when she caught a scent and realized it wasn't just secondhand from one of the beta's skin. Derek was at the school somewhere. She excused herself and went to the bathroom to cry in peace.

But the next thing she knew, it was the passing period and Scott was at her side. "They think Lydia is the kanima," he said. Oh, the kanima must be the name of the creature.

"Why?" Paige asked, not really caring about the answer.

"They tested her – gave her some of the kanima's toxin. She didn't react but that means nothing!" Scott groaned again. "You have to help me, please."

Paige frowned as things started coming together. "Did they test Jackson? Both he and Lydia were bit by alphas."

"Apparently Jackson passed the test," Scott said. Paige shrugged, about to tell him that that probably meant Lydia was the kanima. Problem solved. "They will kill Lydia! Derek's already here."

"Derek wouldn't kill her without definite proof," she argued.

"He thinks he _has_ definite proof." Scott glanced around nervously. "I need to talk to Stiles and Allison – but please, Paige, I need your help. You can't want Lydia to die."

"I don't," Paige frowned. "If Derek's here, go talk to him. He's reasonable." And then she turned around to walk away but Scott grabbed her arm.

"We both know he is not reasonable," he shot back.

Well, he _had_ kicked her out of the pack.

"Fine, he's pretty unreasonable sometimes but…" But what? But if Derek had decided Lydia had to die, he would make it happen? There was nothing Scott could do to stop it… alone. "When you go talk to Derek, come get me. I don't know if he'll listen to me – or even look at me – but at least it'll be a show of force."

The boy nearly sagged against the locker in relief. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" And then he was off.

Come lunchtime, Paige had prepared herself for battle. Combat boots replaced her high-heeled boots and her hair had been swiftly braided out of her face. If the pack put up a fight – and Paige hoped beyond hope that she wouldn't have to fight the pack – she was ready. And she knew she could take them. Erica had complained of her uselessness, but Paige knew she could take any of them except Derek, Scott and maybe Boyd – and that was mostly due to his muscle strength. She was faster and more coordinated.

She wasn't surprised to find that none of the pack was present at the usual lunch table. Something was amiss. And when her phone buzzed right before the last period of the day, she knew what it was. _Meet me at the back doors – Scott. _

Her parent's would read her the riot act later, for skipping class. But right now, she had bigger problems.

"Thank you," he said again as the two wolves pushed open the doors and hopped down the stairs.

"I'm not doing this for you," she told him.

And it was true. All day, she had been considering what was going on – deciding for herself where she stood. And her decision was undoubtedly that she didn't want any innocent person dying. It was the district attorney's daughter in her. She wanted due process for the accused. And also – she knew if Derek killed Lydia and she wasn't truly the kanima, he would never forgive himself. _I'm a predator, not a killer, _he had said once. And she wasn't about to let him become a killer. Especially a killer of innocents.

Out in the middle of the lacrosse field was Boyd.

"We need to talk to Derek," Scott told him as they approached the big guy.

"Talk to me," Boyd suggested.

Paige rolled her eyes but let Scott do the talking. "We don't want a fight."

"Good," he shot back. "'Cause I'm twice the size of you."

"True," Scott sized the other boy up. "Really, really true." Boyd just kind of stood there with a cocky smile on his face. "But you know what I think? I'm twice as fast." And before Paige could say or do anything, Scott lunged and got Boyd in the abdomen, tackling him to the ground.

"No!" Paige yelled, grabbing Scott by a fistful of his shirt and yanking him off the other boy. Jesus, she might not be part of the pack but she still cared about these people.

She was so concerned with breaking up the impending fight that she didn't notice Derek arrive until he said, "She failed the test." Instantly, her heart jumped into her throat and she released Scott. She didn't want to look this man in the eyes, but she knew she had to. This was a show of strength, she had told Scott. It was time to seem strong.

"Yeah, which doesn't prove anything," Scott answered. "Lydia's different."

"I know," Derek snarked. "At night she turns into a homicidal walking snake."

"I'm not going to let you kill her," the beta vowed.

Derek's eyebrows shot up. Paige knew that face. And suddenly she wondered where Erica and Isaac were. The alpha glanced at Boyd who just smiled and then Derek joked, "Who said I was going to do it?"

Scott turned to glance at the school as though that was going to tell him for sure who was going after Lydia. Paige just muttered, "Erica and Isaac…" How could Derek do that to them?

When the boy tried to take off towards the school, realizing the danger his friend was in, Boyd clotheslined him. Paige took a step forward, placing herself in between the two boys in case this conflict escalated.

"I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott," said Derek. He was not three feet from her, but he was completely focused on Scott. "But even so, Lydia has killed people. And she's going to do it again – and next time it's going to be one of us."

Paige tried to ignore the fact that he was ignoring her.

"What if you're wrong?" Scott asked from his place on the ground.

"She was bit by an alpha," Derek threw back. "It's her."

"You saw that thing up close, you know it's not like us."

"But it is," he argued. "We're all shapeshifters. You don't know what you're dealing with. It happens rarely and it happens for a reason."

"What reason?" Scott pushed himself into a semi-sitting position.

Derek hesitated and finally said, "Sometimes the shape you take is a reflection of who you are." And then he did something that surprised Paige. Derek reached down and offered Scott a hand up. After a brief moment of wondering if it was a trick, Scott accepted. "Even Stiles calls her coldblooded," he concluded.

"What if she's immune?" Scott finally asked. "What if she has something inside of her that makes her immune to the bite? Which is why she didn't get paralyzed?"

"No one's immune!" Derek protested. "I've never seen it or heard of it. It – It's never happened."

"What about Jackson?" Scott played his trump card.

When Derek didn't say anything for a bit, Paige took a risk. For the first time since Derek had arrived, she spoke up. "Both Lydia and Jackson were bitten by alphas," she began. The present alpha was finally forced to look her in the eye as she continued. Her breath caught in her throat for half a second, unprepared for those startling blue eyes. Determined, she pushed on with her explanation. "Neither of them have changed into werewolves which leaves two scenarios: either both are kanimas, or one is a kanima and the other somehow survived the bite without being changed – essentially, they're immune. If you hadn't bitten Jackson, then it would be obvious who the kanima was and it could be disposed of before it kills again. But there are too many extenuating factors right now."

All Derek did was clench his jaw.

"Peter said the bite either turns you or kills you," Scott began. "I bet you were hoping he would die."

Paige frowned down at the grass.

After a breath, Scott continued, "I have a theory. Lydia's immune and she somehow passed it on to Jackson. I know I'm right!"

"No!" Derek raised his voice.

"You can _not _do this!" Scott shouted.

"I can't let her live! You should have known that." Briefly, his eyes shifted to glance at Paige. But, she just looked away.

And there it was. Derek was going to kill this girl – or send Paige's two good friends to do it for him.

"I was hoping I could convince you," Scott said. "But then again, I wasn't counting on it."

Derek's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced between Scott and Paige. Then, the original beta turned and stalked off the field. Paige knew she should probably follow him – especially when the alpha signaled Boyd to follow him and they began to leave in the opposite direction. But, she stayed. She was caught somewhere in the middle – a limbo of the hellish kind. Neither with Scott, or with Derek. Just… an omega with no one to watch her back. So, she watched Derek's retreating back. And then she spoke up.

"Don't do this," she tried to plead.

Slowly, he came to halt but he didn't turn around. He was a good thirty some feet away and she wasn't talking very loudly, but she knew he heard her.

"She's sixteen. She doesn't know what she's doing – and that's if she _is_ the kanima. Please, don't do this. Don't kill this girl. Don't make Erica and Isaac kill her – don't put that on them. They're so young. They shouldn't have that kind of blood on their hands just yet. And please," she voice cracked and she knew she had started crying. The tears didn't register in her mind though. "Please don't put me in a position where I might hurt them."

His shoulders tightened and his snarled response greeted her ears. "You're putting yourself in that position," he told her. And then he kept walking.

Only then did Paige accept that this man had wholeheartedly abandoned her. She was an omega. But, she would learn to survive alone.

* * *

_We're at Scott's house,_ was all the text said. She assumed it was from Stiles, though. Sniffing a bit, she knew Isaac and Erica were still in the building. Good. And then, off she went – mostly going by scent. She had never been to Scott's house, but besides Allison's house, she figured the more saturated with his scent the place was, the more likely it was to be his house.

She rang the doorbell and heard everyone inside jump a bit.

"Is it them?" she heard someone ask.

And then Stiles' face appeared in the window and he nearly dissolved with relief. "It's our back up," he explained. After a series of rattles, and whatnot, the door was opened. "I love that you're here."

"What _is _she doing here?" A girl with strawberry blonde hair stood in the middle of the room, observing her coolly. Lydia, Paige guessed. This was the girl Stiles loved. That boy had bad taste in just about everything, didn't he? Sure, she was gorgeous, but she seemed a bit ditzy and a bit shallow.

"She took the class last year – she's here to help," another girl jumped in. Paige recognized her as the girl who had put two arrows into Derek a few months ago. Hmph.

"Lydia, follow me," Jackson spoke up. Oh, he was here too. Literally, go ahead and put the four people Paige probably couldn't stand in a house together and tell her to protect it. Yeah, that'll really inspire her to do the best possible job. "I need to talk to you for a minute."

And then off they went. Oh – yeah, they had once been boyfriend and girlfriend, hadn't they?

"So, you're here to help us?" Allison asked, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"I'm here to make sure no one dies," Paige responded. Slowly, she sized the other girl up. Yes, she remembered this girl. And suddenly, Paige wanted to inflict as much pain on this girl as she had inflicted on Derek. She was channeling her inner wolf when she gave a humorless smile and asked, "You were the one who shot my alpha with a bow and arrow, right?"

The other girl took a step back and said, "Yes. But he was…"

"Escaping from the torture chamber your aunt had been keeping him in…?" Paige took a step forward. Oh yes, yes, yes, she was kind of enjoying this. Allison had nothing to say to that and Paige grinned with pleasure. "You're lucky you're dating Scott," she continued. "It grants you certain privileges. For example, should your family attack us and we win – you'll be spared because Derek won't want to anger Scott. I, personally, don't mind angering Scott. So keep your little bow and arrow to yourself and let me deal with my own kind."

Allison still didn't say anything, but she managed to hold her gaze. Paige felt a little impressed – even Scott sometimes flinched when Paige sparked up her eyes with the yellow glow like she was doing now.

"Paige…" Stiles warned in a tone that was probably supposed to sound threatening.

She was beginning to think that he did honestly enjoy being on her shit list. "Stiles, you kept back information that could have let us find Derek a day and half before we actually did. You then left him paralyzed in a pool. Your track record with me isn't very good. Think before you threaten me or I'll throw you through a window."

Then, she turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Allison asked.

"To grab some food – I'm starving."

"We need to keep a look-out. They could be here any minute," the fledgling hunter argued.

"Trust me," Paige smirked at her over her shoulder. "I'll be the first to know when they're here."

And so she was. She was barely stuffing the sandwich she had made into her mouth when… _thump. Thump. Thump_.

That heartbeat was the soundtrack of her every waking thought.

Giving the sandwich a very thorough bite, she stomped back to the main room. "They're here," she said, gulping the last bit down her throat. She slid right up to the window and pulled the little bit of curtain aside. Allison glanced out over her shoulder and then immediately asked Stiles for his phone. Paige was too busy watching the four of them out there, across the street. She really hoped she could avoid a fight.

The sun had only just set when Allison crossed the room and whipped out her crossbow.

"I told you to keep your toys to yourself," Paige protested.

"I don't trust you," Allison shot back and fitted a bolt into the weapon.

Paige glared, but there was little else she could go besides rip the bow from her hands and smash it into little pieces. Part of her knew that her pack mates could avoid the arrows easily enough.

But when Scott didn't appear in the next following two minutes, Allison then pulled out her phone.

"What are doing?" Stiles asked.

"I think…" she hesitated. "I think I have to call my dad."

"No." Paige stomped her foot a bit. That would not even begin to work. If the hunters found their way here, they would – at the very least – see Erica and Boyd. And then they would know about the entire pack. That is, if they didn't cut them in half first. Paige may not be part of the pack anymore, but these were still people she cared about. "No hunters," she continued.

"What are we supposed to do?" Allison asked, suddenly frantic. "They're not here to scare us – they're here to _kill Lydia._"

Without hesitation, Paige ripped the phone from the girl's paws and crushed it into little plastic pieces. Allison just gaped at her. But honestly, that phone was more dangerous in her hands than that crossbow.

Paige could tell Stiles was getting a bit agitated. He kept hopping from one foot to the other and finally he said, "I have an idea. Shoot one of them."

"There will be no shooting of anyone," Paige cut in. "Are you completely –" And there it was. A scent from outside had shifted. Isaac was in the house.

Time for the show to begin.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"I'm not mad at you," he said simply. Paige felt her heart skip a beat. He wasn't mad? "I'm furious." Oh. Well. "I am _beyond_ furious. You… are you an idiot? Do you realize you could have died? And for what?"**

**She knew he meant that rhetorically, but she still said, "For the pack – for you."**

* * *

_I slipped my hand under her skirt_

_I said don't worry, it's not gonna hurt_

_Oh, my reputation's kinda clouded with dirt_

_That's why you sleep with one eye open_

_That's the price you paid_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics DO NOT belong to Florence and the Machine this time. They belong to Evanescence.**

**A/N: Got a PM from a reader with a suggestion and decided that I wanted to discuss it further and also give everyone a heads up. The reader suggested a scenario where the condom broke on the night that they had sex. And while I'm not in any way trying to diminish that suggestion – because I love suggestions and advice – I have several issues with that kind of scenario.**

**Besides that scenario being rather cliché, I also greatly dislike the hype teen pregnancy has been given lately in the media. I have several distant friends who are Paige's age and younger and are on their second child. Most of them did not finish high school, none of them are enrolled in any kind of higher education. As a woman who is probably overly ambition, I can't imagine putting myself in a position where I'd have to give up my education. And I don't mean that I think people should remain abstinent until marriage, I just think it's actually very easy to avoid unwanted pregnancies – I've done it a great many times myself. Usually I don't like using my characters as a mouthpiece for my own beliefs, but there's a reason Paige asked about the condom and if he had one. There is no way she would have unprotected sex and while yes, condoms are not foolproof, they're better than nothing and I'm still trying to figure out if the pill would work on werewolves.**

**I also feel like sometimes children are used a plot device – a female OC gets pregnant by a broody, damaged canon man and suddenly the dude is forced to be all sentimental and loving and cute because hey – this chick is carrying his kid. And then, he's all cute and adorable with the eventual baby and that's just a bundle of fluff. It reminds me vaguely of a woman using a pregnancy to trap a man into marriage. I just don't appreciate it as a method of creating chemistry between two characters.**

**It also reminds me so, so much of Twilight. And because I'm already writing in a fandom that involves werewolves, that's just too weird for me. Way too weird for me. Teen Wolf is so much different than Twilight and this is my character I'm fiddling around with, so… I'm going to keep it as true to my own style as possible. One more thing: I also have found that when a female character becomes pregnant, a big part of their plot is dependent on their pregnancy. Take Twilight for example, all Bella did was get into a ton of trouble, eventually get married and then have a kid. That was the entire series up until she became a legitimate vampire. So essentially, seven-eighths of the series, she was relied upon solely for her female abilities: damsel in distress, wife, mother.**

**I'd like to think Paige is a little more than that. Yes, she is maternal and yes in my meta she wants children. But she is also capable of being a warrior when is called for. It was slow in coming, but now she doesn't think twice before swinging a punch. And I think we need more of those characters. As a woman who is told repeatedly that law school is not the choice for me because I'll eventually want kids and won't be able to balance both a career in the law field and children, I think it's important for young women to have characters that don't have to choose between their skills and their female right to bear children.**

**So, in conclusion, no – Paige will not in any way, shape, or form be pregnant during this story.**

**I am very maternal though, and love children and cute things and I might be persuaded to write a one-shot set in the future with Derek and Paige and some youngsters. It might be a bonus chapter – I already have one bonus chapter written, why not add more?**

**So. Yes.**

**Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, I just don't appreciate teen pregnancies and will not be including them into the story. But if anyone else has a suggestion or really wants to advocate for that bonus chapter, hit me up.**

**Thanks for listening to the rant. You're all awesome and please enjoy.**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Feels like the weight of the world,_

_Like God in heaven gave me a turn._

_Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you._

_Still in the dark, can you fix me?_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Paige could tell Stiles was getting a bit agitated. He kept hopping from one foot to the other and finally he said, "I have an idea. Shoot one of them."**

**"There will be no shooting of anyone," Paige cut in. "Are you completely –" And there it was. A scent from outside had shifted. Isaac was in the house.**

**Time for the show to begin.**

* * *

Gritting her teeth – which were now more fang than teeth – she braced herself and sharpened her senses. She needed to find the intruder. Who was also her friend. Who wasn't speaking to her because Derek had told him not to. Not that that mattered right now because she had made her choice and she would hurt them to help them.

There. In the back.

Paige took off, her feet knowing exactly what to do as she shifted.

Isaac had been making his way into the main room at a leisurely pace but stopped when Paige appeared in front of him. She growled a bit and he just looked her.

"She needs to die," Isaac finally said. "Before she can kill someone else."

"When she shifts in front of a pack member or Scott or Stiles, or whoever, that's when we'll know for sure," Paige argued. "Until then, I can't let you just kill her. There isn't enough proof."

"Move." But even as he said that, he slowly began to shift also, dropping into a crouched position. He knew her too well. She wasn't going to move in any direction except towards him – in an attack.

"I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded.

"Then move."

Instead, she charged at him and caught him with a punch to the jaw. He recoiled and tried to aim one at her stomach, but she deflected it. Her kick sent him sprawling on the ground. Vaguely, she heard Allison charging up the stairs but she was too focused on Isaac staggering to his feet.

"That hurt," he commented casually.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. It hurt her, too.

The next punch he swung, she let him have. She was beginning to feel guilty. His fist grinded into the flesh above her eye socket and she gave him a swift kick to the kneecap. It crunched under her foot. And down he went again. Her eye throbbed a bit, but it was watching him grasp at his broken leg that truly damaged her. Part of her wanted to come to his rescue, help him to his feet and beg his forgiveness. Another part knew she couldn't.

Especially when Allison called for Stiles.

Paige turned to head up that direction and find out what was wrong, but Isaac jumped on her back and they both sailed to the ground. His fist caught her on the jaw and for a second her vision was full of stars. But once she got her head back, she saw his next punch coming right for her. So, she swung her body to the side and knocked him off. She needed to get upstairs. Erica was in the house – she could tell. And Allison and her stupid bow were also upstairs.

Wincing, Paige jabbed her fist into Isaac's throat. His eyes went wide and his hands came up to hold the tender, damaged flesh. He choked a little bit but eventually sank back down to the ground.

And then Paige was up the stairs.

She had just enough time to hear Erica let out a grunt before she burst into the room. And there was stupid Allison, with her stupid bow in hand. And on the ground, was Paige's pack mate.

"What did you do to her?!" Paige shouted, kneeling to push the girl over and assess her body for damages. There didn't seem to be any bodily injury – and taking a glance at the girl's face, Paige realized what was wrong. Erica couldn't move, but her eyes were flickering across Paige's face and then straining to get a glimpse of the huntress. "How… how did you get the kanima toxin?" she asked Allison.

"It's here," the girl replied, pointing to the window where the poison was still dripping.

Had Lydia changed when no one was looking? Was this the proof that Derek needed? Was Paige wrong in trying to further stop this assault?

Giving a curse under her breath, Paige jumped up and picked up Erica. Forgetting about Scott's girlfriend for a moment, she sprinted from the room and then down the stairs to find Scott, who was struggling against Isaac. Paige didn't know how she missed the boy's arrival, but that didn't matter.

There was a kanima in the house, Derek was waiting outside and the humans were getting in the way.

Scott threw Isaac – who was already visibly weak and drained – into a wall. The beta slid to the ground and didn't open his eyes again. Then Scott grabbed the wolf by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the front door. With his free hand, he opened the door… and chucked Isaac's limp body clear across the yard. Paige couldn't stop him – she had her hands full with Erica. But with a snarl at the other beta, she pushed right past Scott and left through the open door.

Fuck that.

Don't get her wrong, she liked Scott well enough, but she knew that if it was the choice between her pack mates – even if she wasn't part of the pack – and that boy, and his _lovely_ friends, she knew who she'd choose. And after dealing with Stiles and Lydia and Allison, Paige had had enough.

Derek's eyebrows furrowed as Paige approached the group. But she ignored his expression. Instead, she put Erica down gently next to Isaac. Then, she rolled the unconscious boy over to check for any injuries. Some, she had inflicted. The majority, Scott had. He hadn't been as careful with the boy as she had been. Regardless, they were healing before her eyes and she knew he was going to be fine. That did nothing to lessen her guilt, though. Silently, she apologized to them both.

Paige listened as the other group exited the house to stand on the porch. What they thought of Paige abandoning them, she didn't care to find out.

"I think I'm getting why you keep refusing me, Scott," Derek spoke up. "You're not an omega. You're already an alpha – of your own pack." Well, his pack was pretty stupid, if you asked Paige. "But you know you can't beat me." A wide smirk slid across Derek's face.

"I can hold you off until the cops get here," Scott shot back.

Cops? When had someone called the cops? Paige strained her hearing and… there were the sirens.

Derek's smirk fell away.

And then the worst possible thing that could have happened, did. A low hissing sounded above the house and teens left the safety of the porch to come investigate. But Paige had the perfect view. Up on the roof, the kanima slithered to the edge. And then, as though sensing that it was being watched, it turned it's head and roared at them.

Instantly, Paige sprang up and walked the short distance to flank Derek, just incase it attacked him.

But the creature hopped off the roof and ran away.

"Get them out of here," Derek commanded Boyd. Paige opened her mouth to ask for her own orders, before remembering that she was no longer part of the pack. She was an omega now. She didn't take orders. Briefly, she glanced at the ground to get her feelings in order.

"Would someone tell me what is going on?" said a voice that cut through the night air.

It was Lydia - frantic, and shaken, but fully human. Paige frowned, her mind racing. Who else had been in the house with them?

Jackson. Oh God, it was Jackson.

Paige shot Derek a look of, "See?" but he ignored it in favor of bolting after the kanima.

For a moment, she wanted to follow. But that was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place, wasn't it? Trying to fight that thing when Derek didn't want her to? So, she picked up Erica again and told Boyd, "I'm coming with you. Let me help."

Boyd hesitated, but eventually nodded. Together, they returned home.

* * *

"So… it wasn't Lydia?" Isaac asked, still cradling his head.

Paige nodded from her seat next to his resting place. Erica was lying on the other side, still paralyzed. "It wasn't," she said simply.

"You going to go all "I told you so" on our asses now?"

Giving the boy a small smile, she said, "I feel like I've bruised your ego enough… wow, to get beat by a girl."

"I can still beat Erica," he protested.

From Paige's other side, Erica spoke up. "Just wait until this wears off and we'll see if you can beat me."

"You fell for a trick."

"A cheap trick. When I get my hands on that bitch…"

"You won't do anything," Paige cut in, a little sharper than she intended to be. "Scott is much stronger than you. He's stronger than me. You hurt Allison, he'll hurt you."

Erica opened her mouth to, perhaps, argue some more but seemed to think better of it. When she did open her mouth again, it was to say, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Paige immediately asked, instinctively.

"I shouldn't have said anything, you know? A few days ago?" Erica swallowed a gulp of air. "I didn't think Derek would react that drastically…"

Paige blinked at her for a moment, confused. Suddenly she realized what she was talking about. Oh Lord, Paige had forgotten about that. And surprisingly she was no longer mad in the least bit. Giving the younger girl a small smile, she ran a hand through her golden locks soothingly and assured her, "He didn't kick me out because of that, Erica. Don't worry."

The other girl opened her mouth to probably ask why he _had_ kicked her out when suddenly the door to the hideout burst open. Paige instantly stood.

She didn't know why she had stayed. After dropping them off, Boyd had asked if she was going to leave and she had just… felt like staying. This was home for her. It smelled like home. And Isaac hadn't woken up yet and Erica was still unable to move. Boyd couldn't defend them alone. She had just assumed she'd leave when Derek returned… if Derek returned. That was probably another reason she had stuck around. She needed to know if Derek had made it back okay.

And here he was. Alive. Safe.

"Did you get it?" Isaac asked.

"No," Derek growled. "I got interrupted by hunters." Quickly, he surveyed the hideout and turned to Boyd, "Did you run into any trouble on your way here?"

Quickly, she realized he wasn't going to talk to her. It didn't matter that she had stopped him from killing an innocent sixteen-year-old girl. It didn't matter that she had made sure those idiots Scott called his friends hadn't permanently hurt the rest of the pack. None of it mattered. She was still an omega. And maybe, that was the real reason she had stayed. She had hoped that Derek would see how loyal she still was and take her back.

That was nothing more than a dream.

Swiftly, she made her way to the stairs and was about halfway up them when Derek's voice interrupted her. "Stay. I need to talk to you later."

And that was it.

Paige stopped and looked at the alpha. He wasn't looking at her now, if he had ever looked at her to begin with. His focus was on Isaac's injuries and making sure Erica was okay.

Eventually, Erica was able to move and Derek walked each of them home – after having deemed it too dangerous to leave separately. Paige waited patiently for Derek to return. And by patiently, she paced all across the whole goddamned hideout. Finally, the door squeaked open and Derek observed her from the top of the stairs.

In the silence, she grew impatient. "If you're going to yell at me for coming back here, just save it," she said. Honestly, she didn't need a lecture. Not from him. Not when he wasn't her alpha. "This was a one-time thing. I just didn't think Boyd could handle it alone if hunters attacked – or the kanima."

"Who else was in the house?" Derek asked, as he began to descend the staircase.

"Jackson," she whispered, cutting to the chase. She knew this man and she knew exactly where his mental process had gotten him. He was asking if she knew who the kanima was. "He left to go upstairs with Lydia and that was the last I saw of him. It's him."

Derek crossed his arms and frowned in concentration. "He reacted to the toxin though…"

"I was thinking about that, actually… shifting involves completely changing your body," Paige said. "For an alpha – for you, your entire body shifts into something new. Maybe when Jackson shifts, he's immune to the toxin. But as a human, it will still affect him."

Slowly, he seemed to digest that. Nodding, his frown deepened. But he didn't say anything else. Biting her lip, she realized that that was all he wanted to know. That right there was the extent of her usefulness. Okay. Fine. She could take a hint. Silently, she walked past him, deciding it was time to go home. But at the top of the staircase, she knew she still had something to say.

"It's not fair," she claimed. Derek turned to look up at her. "Those are my _friends_. Erica, Isaac, Boyd – they're my friends. I understand that you don't want me involved in pack things anymore. Fine. I disobeyed a direct order and I never listen to you – and I know you hate that and I'd apologize if I could, but it wouldn't be sincere because I think you need someone who'll stand up to you when you're stuck in your own head. But… I'm rambling. Point of the matter is that I'll never come back here again and I'll forget I was ever part of this. I'll wait patiently until I can go back to Chicago for college and never bother you again. But you _can't_ take my friends away. You can't tell them to completely ignore me just because you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," he said simply. Paige felt her heart skip a beat. He wasn't mad? "I'm furious." Oh. Well. "I am _beyond_ furious. You… are you an idiot? Do you realize you could have died? And for what?"

She knew he meant that rhetorically, but she still said, "For the pack – for you."

"And that is the problem!" he shouted. She flinched, but stood her ground. "I told you not to! I told you to stay because I didn't want you even thinking about leaving that pool and _that_ is a problem!" He was panting and Paige was worried he was on the brink of shifting. But gradually he calmed himself down. "If I had been thinking correctly, I would have seen that – in part – you were right. Erica was in danger. I should have had you sneak out and drag her into the pool with us. But I didn't want you going anywhere. I didn't want you at risk and that decision put _Erica_ at risk!" For a moment he just groaned and then he twisted away from her. "I need to make choices. Now more than ever – my choices affect people. And they need to be the right decisions."

"You _have_ been making the right decisions," Paige protested. She took the stairs three at a time as she descended and approached her alpha.

"Oh? Is that why I nearly killed a perfectly normal girl?" Derek shot back with biting sarcasm.

Paige took a deep breath in through her nose. Yes… there was that.

"But you didn't," Paige mumbled. "We stopped you."

"You shouldn't have had to stop me," he said. "That should never have been an issue." He ran a hand haphazardly through his hair. "You're affecting my decision making." There was a beat and then, "I can't lose you," he admitted softly. "But I can't make pack decisions based on not wanting you dead. That's not okay."

Quite honestly, she didn't know what to say. So, she just muttered, "Sorry."

Briefly, he turned around and looked at her. "It's more my fault than anything else," he said. "I just… don't know how to separate it. I thought sending you away would do the trick – but I was just more worried than ever before."

"I can take care of myself." She approached the alpha until she was only two steps away from him.

Okay – wrong thing to say. His eyes flashed a bit and Paige sighed. "Okay, I can usually take care of myself. I know against the kanima or the hunters, I wouldn't last very long alone."

"That's why you're coming back," Derek announced, suddenly and decisively. "Keeping you away didn't work and you aren't safe. Right now, omega's aren't safe in this town. Even if your presence screws with my head a bit, I'd rather have that than worry about you out there alone."

"Thank you," she muttered. She was back. She was home again. Her shoulders sagged a bit with relief.

Without thinking about it, she closed the distance between them and threw her arms around his waist. When he instinctively slid his arms around her shoulders, she knew she was home in every sense of the word.

"It wasn't nothing," she finally had the chance to say. Part of her wanted to pull her head away and see his face. But she kept her cheek pressed against his hard chest. "And I wanted it to happen again. I just said that because Erica seemed so betrayed because I hadn't told her about it. That's something girl friends talk about – you know? I'm sorry. I never meant to make you think anything like that."

"We just… have to figure some things out," he said. His voice made his chest vibrate against her cheek. "I don't know if that means I have to learn how to be a better alpha, or we just have to be careful about this. Either way, the pack can't suffer."

"It won't," Paige agreed, pulling away finally. And this time she felt like she wasn't going to break this promise.

Derek searched her face for a long time and then leaned down. Gently, his lips grazed hers and she shuddered a bit.

Oh, it was good to be home.

* * *

Hours later, Paige rolled over and nuzzled her face into Derek's bicep. His arm around her waist pulled her closer and he murmured, "Go back to sleep."

"Can't," she muttered. "It's a school day tomorrow. I have to either go home or call them with a very good excuse. Mmh," she groaned a bit. "But I don't want to leave." Derek pressed his lips to her forehead and then kissed her cheek, before working his way down to her mouth. Paige pressed back, and moaned against his lips. "You are _too_ tempting," she complained.

"Go home, and then come back," he suggested.

Pulling away a bit, she smiled. "That would work…" she agreed. Then she completely pulled away and rolled off the mattress. Stumbling around in the dark, she searched for her clothing. A rustle behind her told her that Derek was also getting dressed.

"Aw," she snarked. "Are you going to walk me home?"

"Considering there is a kanima running around and hunters everywhere, yeah. I'm walking you home. And then I'm walking you back. And then… we'll have round two." Paige glanced back, startled a bit but Derek was focused on sliding his shirt over his head.

A blush slid across her face and she fumbled to yank on her boots. "Promise?" she wanted to know.

"Definitely," he shot her a smile.

They had just left the hideout when Paige wondered, "What happened after you followed the kanima? You said you got interrupted by hunters."

"Yeah…" he frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I tracked it up until downtown, and the next thing I know there were headlights. I hid, but I managed to catch a look at what was going on… the kanima circled Gerard Argent, but never attacked. And Argent – he was so calm…" Derek trailed off and scowled. "There's something going on. He knows something we don't and the only way we're going to figure out what that is, is to get to the kanima first."

"Gerard is frightening," Paige muttered. And then she hopped into her car. It was a weird feeling, having Derek in the passenger side and her being in the drivers seat. Usually, it was the other way around.

"But he's only human."

"Yeah…" she sighed. "What did the kanima do to the hunters?"

"It ran away," he explained. "And then I tracked it to a gay club."

"You went to a gay club?" Paige couldn't help the giggle that sprang from her mouth. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

The glare he shot her did nothing but make her smile widen.

"I think he was after that Danny boy…" Derek admitted.

"The one who liked ogling you, shirtless?"

"The very same… He and few other men ended up paralyzed. I managed to wound the kanima but I lost him in the crowd."

Her house appeared in the distance and she told him, "I'm going to let you out here and then go in, make an appearance and then I'll sneak out the window." And then she unlocked the doors. Derek paused briefly to give her a lingering kiss. It was a promise of what was to come. When he was safely on the sidewalk, Paige continued down the road and pulled into her driveway.

"I'm home!" she announced, coming in the front door.

She found both her parents sitting in the front foyer, apparently waiting for her. They were never home together and it wasn't even that late – barely ten at night. What was going on?

"Take a seat," her father gestured to the couch.

"What's going on?" Paige asked, sitting gingerly.

"We got a letter from your principal," her mother spoke up. And there in her hand was the envelope. Paige's brain raced. What was Gerard pulling? What had she done? "You're failing history and math," she explained.

"No I'm not," Paige protested. She had been tracking her grades like a fiend. History was her best subject and while she would sometimes rather shoot herself than do math homework, she still had an A in the class.

"That's not what your principal says," her dad frowned.

"I can prove it!" Paige jumped up and ran to her room, grabbing her laptop. Hopping back down to the foyer, she sat down and opened it. "We have an online system to track grades," she explained. "It lists each homework assignment, each test. I don't even have a B. I can't be failing anything." Pulling up the website, she typed in her username and password and scrolled down.

But her triumph quickly faded.

Under the history headline, her grade was an F. Assignments she knew she had gotten fantastic grades in were suddenly listed as incomplete or flunked. It was the same for math. And suddenly she realized what was going on… Gerard had hacked the system – which he could do as principal. He had hacked the site and changed her grades.

That asshole.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"I heard the conversation last night…" he mentioned. "I knew you were a little distracted but I didn't know it was affecting you that much."**

**"I'm fine," she snapped a bit.**

**After helping him out of the car, something made her back stiffen. There was… something very wrong. And as she sniffed at the air – she knew what it was. There was someone foreign in her house.**

* * *

_Feels like the weight of the world,_

_Like all my screaming has gone unheard._

_And oh, I know you don't believe in me._

_Safe in the dark, how can you see?_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Korn.**

**A/N: It's a Tuesday. I'm still not done with the chapters that cover the finale – and therefore I took my time in updating. I'm perpetually paranoid that I will caught up my updating with my writing and it'll screw up my whole system.**

**Side-note: I got a tumblr. I'm still learning how to use it, but feel free to hit me up there. I'm unashamed to say my blog is almost entirely dedicated to Erica and Derek and just Teen Wolf in general. There's some other random things – like feminist shenanigans and Doctor Who and fashion. The username is McGinnisInc, like my penname here, minus the period and space.**

**As per usual, please enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_All of my hate cannot be found_

_I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming_

_So you can try to tear me down_

_Beat me to the ground I will see you screaming_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Under the history headline, her grade was an F. Assignments she knew she had gotten fantastic grades in were suddenly listed as incomplete or flunked. It was the same for math. And suddenly she realized what was going on… Gerard had hacked the system – which he could do as principal. He had hacked the site and changed her grades.**

**That asshole.**

* * *

Paige was sitting, just gaping at the computer screen when her mother appeared over her shoulder and looked at the screen. Her hand fell on Paige's shoulder and gave a little squeeze.

"I know that things have been a bit stressful and you have a boyfriend, but with this many homework assignments missing, you can't honestly expect us to believe you just overlooked them…" Her mother gently reached over and closed the laptop screen. "There's something else – we got a call today from the school. You weren't in eighth period – you left early."

Her father spoke up. "Your grades are dismal and you're cutting classes. What is going on?"

"I…" Quite honestly, she was struggling for words. There was nothing she could say. This wasn't her – she had always been the perfect little student and she didn't know how she could explain that she was failing because she was a werewolf and her principal was a hunter and he was trying to ruin her life – and more importantly, he was trying to kill her. This was just the means to an end…

"Is this because of Isaac? The move? Your attack a few months ago?" Her mom asked, playing the good cop. Her voice was soothing but Paige didn't know what to say.

"I don't know," she finally muttered.

The foyer went silent and then her father spoke up. "We're going to need to punish you," he decided. Her mother nodded next to him, reluctantly. "You can take the car from home to school and that's it. You can't see Isaac outside of school. We have already made an appointment with a tutor at your school – they will be checking to make sure all of your assignments are done."

"You're grounding me?"

"Yes."

There was once a time when Paige had craved attention from her parents. They were always gone and she had spent all of her time at home, waiting for them to come back. It had been a lonely, lonely existence. But then she became a werewolf and had met all kinds of interesting people and now all she wanted to do was be with those interesting people – receive attention from those people and only those people. It was ironic that Paige was finally getting that attention after she no longer wanted it. Yeah, better late than never.

"Can I go now? I'm tired…" It came out a bit shorter than she intended. Both of her parents shared a look and then they dismissed her and she shuffled up to her room. With a sigh of relief, she sagged against the door and stifled a little groan.

That damn hunter was hitting too close to home.

Derek would know what to do, she decided. Crossing the room, she picked up the pile of blankets she still kept on the floor and stuffed them under her covers. Once the decoy was set, Paige didn't spare her house a glance as she snuck out her window and jogged down the street.

The alpha noticed her expression immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'll tell you when we get back home," she said sharply.

She needed to run. There was energy bursting from every atom of her body and if she didn't take off now, she was going to shift and probably kill someone. Her legs strained against the abuse as she sprinted across town. Derek easily kept up, but didn't try to speak to her again. She skidded to a stop in front of the hideout. Angrily, she stalked downstairs and then whirled around.

"He fucked with my grades!" she shouted at Derek. "Gerard hacked into my grades and changed them and now I'm failing two classes and my parents grounded me." Her body was shaking now that she was standing still.

Sensing that she was on the brink of an anxiety attack, Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him till her back was pressed tightly against his chest. Snarling, she ripped herself from his grasp and stepped away. She didn't want to be coddled. She wanted to punch Gerard in the face.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" she demanded, her voice breaking.

The alpha seemed at a loss. "He's trying to mess with your personal life – make it harder for you to get involved," he finally established.

"So, then, he definitely knows about me," Paige realized.

"Yes…" Derek frowned. "And that's the bigger problem right now. It's not safe for you to be alone."

"They forbid me from seeing Isaac outside of school and I can only have the car to get from school to home," she explained. "I can still sneak out of course – but Wyatt will know." She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. This wasn't fair. Come after her with guns, or arrows, or whatever – _that_ she could fight against. Going behind her back and attacking her future… that was much worse. That had been her sole aspiration since before she could remember: make her father proud by getting superb grades, getting into a great college, and then a great law school. Sure, her priorities had certainly changed but that didn't mean she still didn't want to finish up her senior year with good grades.

Suddenly, Derek's hand was on her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Paige, I know you're angry. But you have to keep a cool head. It could be some much worse," he told her.

"I know…" she finally whispered.

Gently, he dragged the pad of his thumb across her bleeding lip and the prickle of pain jolted her back to reality. He was right. They could have attacked her family. They could have locked them in a house and set them on fire. They could have done so much worse. Paige had been clinging onto school as some kind of normalizer. And now that had been taken from her, too.

She pulled his hand from her face and instead stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Her world was spinning and she needed to come back down to something real – something right. Instantly, his hands were on her hips, pulling her closer.

And soon, everything faded away.

* * *

The next day, Paige found herself back at school. She had a tutoring session after school and she was… dreading it to say the very least.

But quite frankly, that was the least of her problems. For one, she had gone to bother her math and history teachers and asked if they had kept a handwritten grade book. Neither of them did – but she knew for a fact that all her other teachers did. That was the reason Gerard had picked those two classes – there would be no paper trail… except for the work Paige remembered to keep. And because she didn't want to even begin to deal with math, her homework ended up in the trash pile and her teacher always kept the exams. History at least, was a little better. She had two papers in her possession with the proper grade on them.

Paige was so deeply situated in her own head that she didn't notice that Jackson was absent from school until lunchtime. And when she looked over and noticed Scott was alone, she suddenly realized that Stiles was also not here.

"This is our table," a voice snapped. "What are you doing here?" When she turned around, she saw Isaac standing there, a hip jutting out and his face smirking. Erica and Boyd flanked him

"I don't know what you're talking about," Paige smiled at the three. "This is my table."

Erica suddenly sprang forward and braced herself on the table, leaning in close to Paige's neck. She took a great big whiff of the other girl before saying, "You smell like fruity shampoo and mint soap and very faintly, you smell like… Derek." Then a very sincere grin slid across her face. "It's good to have you back, Paige."

"It's good to be back," Paige said.

"Jackson's missing," Boyd commented as they all dug into their lunches. "Apparently the police are searching for him. You think the kanima got him?"

Isaac was the first to respond. "One can only hope…"

"Stiles is also gone," Erica threw out there softly.

"Good," Paige muttered.

The other girl turned to glance at Paige sharply. "You really don't like him, do you?"

"Nope…" Paige trailed off and took a bite of her sandwich. "Firstly, a few months ago Derek had been captured by the Argents and we couldn't find him. Apparently before he'd been captured, he knew that they would take him and so he stole Scott's phone. Peter – the old alpha – and I didn't even know Scott's phone was missing and Scott just assumed he'd lost his phone. But Stiles put it together – that Derek had taken the phone and that it could be traced with GPS. However, that little bastard didn't tell anyone until Peter attacked Lydia and threatened to kill her. He let Derek be held captive for a day and a half longer than he needed to be.

"Then, the night the kanima attacked you and Derek in the pool, Stiles let a paralyzed Derek go underwater so that he could make a phone call. Then forgot about him. When he finally remembered that Derek was underwater and went down to retrieve him, Derek was already unconscious.

"So. Stilinski and I don't entirely get along," Paige concluded.

Frowning, Erica got back to her food. Paige felt a little guilty – she didn't want Erica's opinion of the boy to be tainted, but at the same time, she needed to know that Stiles hadn't always done right by their alpha. And their alpha always came first.

After lunch, Paige disconnected from the pack and fell into step with Scott. "Do I want to know why both Jackson and Stiles are missing?" she asked.

"Do I want to know why you threatened my girlfriend with bodily harm?" he shot back.

"She shot Derek a while ago," Paige explained. "I was a bit worried she was going to do it again." Scott held her gaze for a bit but did nothing except scowl. To change the subject, Paige gestured to the cameras discreetly. "Those are new…"

"The hunters have people who watch the cameras," he explained. "All kinds of cameras, apparently, all over town."

"You got that information from Allison?"

"Yes." Scott's scowl deepened. "Stay away from her," he finally demanded.

"Scott, can I be honest with you?" When he didn't say anything, she continued. "You're not part of the pack. I don't take orders from anyone except Derek."

Taking a deep whiff, Scott commented, "I feel like it's not just orders you're taking from Derek at this point in time."

"You're right," Paige shrugged. "And that's really not your business." Decisively, she sighed. "Scott, we aren't you enemies. And right now – we're your best chance of surviving. Gerard will kill us all, regardless of whether his granddaughter loves us or not. And this kanima will kill anyone. We have to work together on this."

"I already told Derek that!"

"Yes, and he's the alpha and working together involves you being part of the pack."

Scott glowered a bit and said, "I'm not ready to do that." And then he walked away.

* * *

Paige was thinking about how else she could convince Scott to hop on the pack bandwagon and what exactly the boys had done with Jackson when she pulled into her driveway.

"You are so lost in thought right now," Wyatt joked a bit.

"I had a pretty complicated day…"

"I heard the conversation last night…" he mentioned. "I knew you were a little distracted but I didn't know it was affecting you that much."

"I'm fine," she snapped a bit.

After helping him out of the car, something made her back stiffen. There was… something very wrong. And as she sniffed at the air – she knew what it was. There was someone foreign in her house.

"Wait here," she told Wyatt in a hushed voice. He didn't have time to respond as she sprinted around the house.

She knew she should call for back up. Derek and the pack were just a phone call away. But from the noise inside, she knew there was only one person and if this was an ambush by the hunters, surely they would include more people. It wasn't until she rounded the house and climbed up to her parent's bedroom window that she remembered the conversation she had had with Peter eons ago – about the spray the hunters had. There could be a whole group of people in the house and she wouldn't know.

Part of her wanted to whip out her phone and call Derek. Another part of her knew that she had to protect her brother first and foremost and that meant she couldn't wait.

Closing her eyes, she sharpened her senses and tried to find the exact location of the intruder. He – she could smell the cologne on him – was shuffling through some papers in the main foyer. Was he here to kill her? Or to do reconnaissance? The smell of gunpowder reached her nose, though, and she knew she couldn't take any chances. Sliding around the corner, she was barely at the stairs when the front door opened.

Wyatt apparently wasn't very good at taking orders.

And suddenly, the intruder stopped all motion. That only lasted long enough for Wyatt to glance up at Paige on the top of the stairs. Then, the hunter was on the move.

Like hell she was letting him get to her brother.

Snarling, she jumped from the top of her staircase to the bottom. Wyatt rolled back, shocked, but Paige wasn't even looking at him. She was looking at the man who had turned the corner with his gun raised at her baby brother. The wolf in her came out. Instantly, her body sprang and before the man could even pull the trigger – if that was ever his intention – her clawed hand closed around the gun and yanked it from his grasp. Then, her leg came up to hit him squarely in the chest.

"Paige!" her brother called.

"Shut up, Wyatt!" she called back, approaching the fallen hunter.

She reached down and grabbed the man by his ankle, dragging him closer to her. Then she bent and closed a hand around his throat to pull him onto his feet and up against the wall.

"Why did Gerard send you here?" she interrogated. "What does he want?"

The man gurgled a bit and she loosened her grip so that he could say, "I'm not going to tell you anything. You're going to have to kill me first."

Shoving him a bit harder into the wall, she vaguely heard a picture down the hallway fall from its hook and shatter on the floor. "I have not intention of killing you - mostly because I won't give you people another reason to come after me or the rest of the pack," she told the hunter. "Gerard would love that, wouldn't he? To force us into spilling human blood so that you can justify slaughtering us? So, fine. If you're not going to talk – I'll talk. You tell Gerard that I know he fucked with my grades and I will get my revenge for that. He doesn't know what's coming for him."

One last shove later and she dragged the man down the hallway, past a speechless Wyatt and then tossed him out the door. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him with glowing yellow eyes as he jogged away.

"Wha… What was that?" Wyatt finally managed to choke out.

Taking a deep breath, Paige realized there was nothing she could say to get out of this. At all. True, she had never planned on telling her family anything about any wolf-business… but after that display, she knew she owed her brother an explanation.

"We need to talk," she eventually said.

After a long conversation and a great many questions, Wyatt finally leaned back in his wheelchair and looked at Paige – truly looked at Paige.

"I wondered what had happened to you," he finally admitted. "One day you were a shy nerdy girl and suddenly you were rocking a leather jacket and sneaking out. The whole werewolf thing… I'm still trying to process, but… okay."

"Okay," Paige let out a sigh of relief.

"And you really aren't actually dating Isaac Lahey?"

"Nope – he's just a friend."

Wyatt slid down farther in his chair and smiled. "Oh, thank God. I thought that was literally the weirdest thing ever…"

"He's not that bad!"

"No, no he's not… It was more the combination of you two that was freaking me out. Of all the people in the world to get together – it's just unexpected."

Paige giggled a bit, wondering what he'd do if he knew about her and Derek. She had told him almost everything except that – their relationship didn't really have a label and it was between them, and therefore no one else's business. She also had decided to omit the fact that there was a ruthless lizard killer running around – who just so happened to be her brother's good friend. Jackson was a threat to her brother, but she didn't want to spook him too badly.

And then something occurred to her. "I need a favor," she said. "Mom and Dad won't let me take the car to anywhere except school. I don't really need to use the car to get places –"

"What with your super speed and stuff," he threw in.

"Yes," Paige smiled. "But I still need to do things – help the pack and whatnot. I know by taking the car, they meant to keep me at home. But they'll never know if I leave, since they work so late."

Her brother frowned and asked, "You want me to lie for you?"

"I _need_ you to lie for me," she clarified. "This… thing… is bigger than both of us and it's more important to me than even my grades at this point. Please."

After a moment, he finally nodded. "Okay. Whatever."

She stood and hugged him. It felt good – telling someone everything for the first time. It was exactly what she needed. She was liberated. And if anyone in her family had to know the trouble she had gotten into, she wanted it to be her brother.

* * *

"There was a hunter in my house," Paige announced casually as she entered the hideout. Erica was sitting in a corner doing schoolwork, Isaac was probably still at lacrosse practice and Boyd was training with Derek.

The alpha was so shocked by her declaration that he turned to look up at her. Boyd's fist hit him squarely in the jaw and Derek went flying. Paige just kind of sighed, while Erica let out a loud snort. To his credit, Boyd seemed equal parts sheepish and cocky about knocking the alpha on his ass.

With a snarl, Derek pushed himself to his feet but ignored the male beta.

"How do you know it was a hunter?" he asked Paige.

She bounded down the stairs and casually said, "Because I caught him in my foyer with a gun and when I questioned him he knew I was a wolf."

"Why was he there?" Erica jumped up.

"Beats me, but I did hear a lot of rustling around. His scent was all over the place – he might have been looking for something. But there was only one, so I don't think he was there to attack me," she explained.

"Are you alright?" Derek asked.

His eyes trailed up and down her body looking for any kind of injury. She _had_ said he had a gun.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "He didn't even get a chance to raise his gun," she promised. "But there's one other thing… My brother was home at the time. He saw me basically disarm a dude and then question him about why our principal had sent him to break into our house." She shrugged. "I had to tell him – everything."

Derek nodded slowly, "Yes. Better that he knows and can cover for you."

"You don't think hunters will come to our houses?" Boyd asked.

"They don't know about you two – just Paige and Isaac."

And that seemed to pacify the younger betas. Eventually Isaac arrived and the hunter was pushed to the back of everyone's mind as training became underway. But later, after everyone had left for dinner at a local diner, Paige found herself approaching the alpha where he sat on one of the barrels, lost in thought. Coming up from behind, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"They're getting bolder," Paige muttered. "They've never been in my house before. Do you think they're close to closing in on us?"

He reached up and laced his fingers into hers. "I don't know. I hope not." Pulling away from her for a moment, he turned and gently grabbed a handful of her hair. He guided her head down and pressed his forehead against hers. "But it won't happen again. We're going to find the kanima and kill it and then we'll deal with the hunters."

Her fingers ghosted over his neck and shoulders and for a moment she just closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.

She hoped he was right.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Derek stretched his arm out and grabbed her hip. One gentle tug later and she was rolled over, facing him. "Where did you apply?" he asked her. His face was classically neutral.**

**"The University of Illinois, DePaul University, Illinois State University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Loyola University," she recited. "I've gotten accepted to U of I, ISU, and Loyola so far."**

**"Those… are all in Illinois," he commented lightly.**

**"Well, yeah…" Paige frowned a little. "I lived there all my life. That's my home," she tried to explain.**

* * *

_Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies_

_Pushing all the mercy down, down, down_

_I wanna see you try to take a swing at me_

_Come on, gonna put you on the ground, ground, ground_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Mumford and Sons.**

**A/N: One reviewer requested some more mature action between Derek and Paige. Truth be told – I'm all for smut. I love smut. But I sometimes get so bored with sex scene after sex scene after sex scene. And I prefer not to do that in my stories. So far I haven't gotten too graphic – I've kept it within the rules of . And I'm sorry to tell y'all that that's about as graphic as it's going to get for now.**

**That being said – I have a bonus chapter prewritten that takes place in the middle of this chapter but will be posted once this story concludes. It is a lemon. It is my gift to you because you are all so lovely. Also, already started the future bonus chapter that is essentially fluff on top of fluff. Also – my gift to you.**

**As always, enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_We'll be washed and buried one day my girl_

_And the time we were given will be left for the world_

_The flesh that lived and loved will be eaten by plague_

_So let the memories be good for those who stay_

* * *

**Previously:**

**He reached up and laced his fingers into hers. "I don't know. I hope not." Pulling away from her for a moment, he turned and gently grabbed a handful of her hair. He guided her head down and pressed his forehead against hers. "But it won't happen again. We're going to find the kanima and kill it and then we'll deal with the hunters."**

**Her fingers ghosted over his neck and shoulders and for a moment she just closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.**

**She hoped he was right.**

* * *

The other betas returned soon. Erica was sipping at a coffee and Isaac chucked a bag full of fries at Paige. "Extra salt, just the way you like it," he told her.

"You… are lovely," Paige shot back as she dug in.

Eventually Boyd got a call from his parents, summoning him home. It wasn't until everyone was about to depart that Derek called a group meeting – minus one. But that was unavoidable.

"We need to get Scott on our side," he announced. "And maybe Stiles as well."

"Why do we need their help?" Isaac spoke sharply.

"Because it's harder to kill than I thought and I still don't know who it is," Derek explained. Paige frowned at Derek's pacing back. She knew that he knew who it was – she had specifically told him. What the hell was he up to?

"And they do?" Isaac asked.

"They might," he said simply. "Which is why I need one of you to get on their good side."

"Hm…" Erica tossed that idea around in her head. "Scott… or Stiles?"

Derek paused, shot her a knowing look and then answered, "Either."

"You know," Isaac began. "The full moon is coming, Derek."

"I'm aware of that," he replied sharply as he bent over a trunk in the middle of the hideout. Paige had explored most of the place, but she had never seen this trunk. He must have brought it just today. From the trunk he pulled a hunk of… chains.

"These look comfortable," Erica commented, reaching in and pulling her own hunk of chains out. Derek snatched them from her hands.

"You said you were going to teach us to change whenever we wanted," Isaac reminded him.

"There hasn't been time," the alpha said simply.

"But if you have to lock us up during the full moon, that means – that means you're alone against the Argents." Fair point, there Isaac. Paige still had one more full moon on Isaac, but even during the last one Derek had had to essentially beat her into submission before she could control herself.

"They haven't found us," Derek replied.

"Yet. So how about we forget the kanima," Isaac finally snapped. Well, that was probably the biggest show of defiance Paige had never seen any pack member (besides herself) show Derek, ever. She was almost a little proud of the youngster until Derek twisted around.

"We can't!" he snarled. "There was something about the way Gerard looked at it," he explained, calming down a bit. "He wasn't afraid. At all. And I don't know what he knows, or what he's planning. But I'm sure about one thing – we have to find it first."

The two left with their orders. Paige knew eventually she'd have to leave and show her face at her house before she could sneak out later, but for now she followed her alpha into the remodeled train car.

"You know, I don't think locking up Isaac would be the best idea," she commented lightly, tentatively. "I mean, given what we found in his basement…" She shrugged a bit.

"I'll consider it," Derek sighed. And he would. He had gotten much better about allowing people to share their opinions just as Paige had gotten much better about not totally disobeying his orders. It made her happy to see the both of them compromising. It gave her hope that they could actually make it out of all of this shit.

"Thank you…" she smiled at him, even though he didn't return it. He was too lost in his own plans and Paige wasn't going to distract him any longer than she needed to. "I'm going to slip home," she told him. He still didn't look at her – he was so lost in thought. Paige didn't want to bother him, but she would regret leaving without asking, "Do you want me to come back?"

"Hm?" Derek was scratching his chin with his thumbnail and frowning at the opposite wall of the train car.

Giggling and rolling her eyes a little bit at his level of distraction because it was absolutely cute but also made Paige a little worried, Paige said, "I'm going to take that as a "no". See ya tomorrow, Derek."

But just as she turned away, his hand shot out and snatched her wrist. And suddenly he was truly looked at her. "No," he said softly. "I want you to come back."

"Alrighty, then," she smiled.

And back she came.

* * *

The alarm on her phone went off and Paige knew she had to wake up. Groaning, she stretched a bit and her arm ended up smacking Derek in the stomach. His hand reached out to snatch her wrist and pull her closer. She slid her back up against her lover and vowed not to leave this bed.

"What's the point of school?" Paige muttered into the pillow.

"An education?" Derek tried.

"My grades are already fucked up beyond repair," she reminded him. "It might be better for me just to drop out and get my GED. Colleges will still look at my GPA from the first three years and I've already gotten some of my early acceptance letters back."

Derek stretched his arm out and grabbed her hip. One gentle tug later and she was rolled over, facing him. "Where did you apply?" he asked her. His face was classically neutral.

"The University of Illinois, DePaul University, Illinois State University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University and Loyola University," she recited. "I've gotten accepted to U of I, ISU, and Loyola so far."

"Those… are all in Illinois," he commented lightly.

"Well, yeah…" Paige frowned a little. "I lived there all my life. That's my home," she tried to explain.

But even as she said it, she wondered about what home meant at this point. She knew that at some level, this dilapidated train car was even more of a home to her than that big empty house. But she had always thought of Illinois as her home as well. If she went back to school there, she would be alone again, she realized. The friends she thought she had left behind no longer spoke to her. Had that been her only reason for holding onto the idea of the Midwest? Not only would she be separated from her family, but more importantly her pack… and her alpha. And while she knew better than to make plans based on a boyfriend, he was her alpha first and her lover second. And omegas rarely survived alone.

The snooze on her alarm went off and she totally detangled herself from Derek to shut it off. She didn't want to think about these things anymore.

"Go to school. At the very least, you need to stay in contact with the pack," Derek finally said, returning to the original subject.

She smiled down at him. The blanket they shared had slipped down and barely covered areas that had greatly interested Paige the night before. The wolf was reclined and relaxed – his arms tucked under his head, his chiseled arm muscles straining under his skin as they stretch to accommodate his position. This was the state Paige most enjoyed seeing him in. Sometimes she wished the rest of the pack could see their alpha like this – it would make them more likely to trust him – put their faith in him.

On impulse, she leaned down and kissed him gently. "You're part of the pack," she murmured against his lips. "You're a big part of the pack."

He chuckled a bit. "I meant the rest of the pack," he said. But even as he spoke, his hand came up to hold her head in place so that he could continue to kiss her. Finally, he pulled away and sat up, dragging her with him. "School," he commanded shortly.

"Yes, Mr. Alpha," she snarked. But she still heaved herself up.

* * *

When Jackson pranced right past her in the hallway the next day, Paige glowered a bit and went to find Scott.

"I see Jackson's back," she commented casually.

"Yeah," Scott muttered distractedly.

But that was all the beta said on the matter. Finally Paige forced herself to ask, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just have a makeup test to take." And then he pushed right past her and disappeared.

Rude. And Stiles liked to call Derek a sour wolf. Paige just hiked her book bag a bit higher up on her shoulder and sought out Isaac. Right now, she just wanted to be with her pack. They smelled the most familiar; they were the people she was closest to.

"I think Erica has a hard-on for Stiles," the boy commented when Paige finally found him.

"Why do you say that?"

Isaac pointed a single finger and when Paige followed the finger with her gaze, she discovered Erica with Stiles pushed up against the wall. Erica's claws were out and Paige was just about to spring into action and make her put them away but it seemed that Stiles had already warned her about the camera. Good. Then the she-wolf stomped off.

"I'm still trying to figure out, though, whether she wants to rip his clothes off or rip his limps off," Isaac joked.

"Both?" Paige threw out there. Then something just kind of felt wrong. "Actually, I'm going to go make sure she doesn't do either…" And then Paige followed after Stiles and Erica. She trailed after them all the way down to the hallway where the boy's locker-room was located.

She had barely turned the corner and caught sight of the two when suddenly Scott came flying through the locker-room door and hit the floor with a smack. What… the fuck? Half a second later, a shirtless Jackson burst through the door and reached down to grab at the beta.

Erica immediately snapped into action, yanking Jackson off the other wolf just as Stiles grabbed Scott to hold him back. Paige managed to make her way in between the two so that at least there would be a barrier. What the hell was going on between these two guys? Besides the whole "kanima" thing…?

"What is going on?" came a stilted voice from down the hall. Paige glanced over to find Mr. Harris making his way over to the conflict. Shit. "Hey! Enough! Enough!" Stiles frantically released Scott and Erica backed away from Jackson. On habit, Paige moved to stand next to her pack mate. "What do you idiots think you're doing? Jackson, calm down! Mr. McCall – explain yourself. Stilinski…" The teacher turned his glare on everyone.

"You dropped this," some random kid spoke up and handed a tablet to the teacher.

"You and you," Mr. Harris pointed to Jackson and Scott, then thought better of it. "Actually, all of you – detention. Three o'clock."

Jackson just stalked off. Scott and Stiles made eye contact and then kind of groaned. Allison moved to wrap her arms around Scott, and then thought better of it. Finally, she walked off.

"That… sucks," Erica mumbled.

"Oh yeah," Paige frowned. "My parents are already pissed about my grades. Wait till they hear that I got detention."

"But I'll be there," Erica looped her arm around Paige's. "It'll be fun, you'll see. We'll torture the little wolf and Stiles and Jackson – oh yeah, Jackson's the kanima. Just found that out."

That was old news. Paige just nodded.

Quite frankly, she was more worried about what her parents were going to think about this detention.

Also, she couldn't drive Wyatt home.

* * *

The group was too big to stay in Mr. Harris' classroom, so they were hustled to the library. Paige took the seat next to Erica while Stiles and Scott took the opposing chairs. Allison, the random dude and Jackson were all at the other table.

"We can't be in detention together," Jackson explained as he sat down. "I have a restraining order against these tools."

"Against all these tools?" Mr. Harris asked.

"No, just these tools," Stiles joked, gesturing to himself and Scott.

That was new. When had that happened? Why had that happened? Suddenly, Paige really wanted to know why Jackson hadn't been in school the day before.

"Fine," the teacher relented. "You two, over there."

Scott and Stiles switched seats, angrily.

Paige leaned in close to Erica and asked, "Why does Jackson have a restraining order against Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb?"

"Beats me," the girl bit at her pen momentarily.

"How did you find out that Jackson is the kanima?"

"Stiles was asking Lydia about how Jackson's birth parents died," Erica explained. Well, Paige hadn't even known that he was adopted. That might have explained a lot. "I figured it had something to do with the kanima, so I asked. His heartbeat shot through the roof. Jackson is definitely the kanima." She paused and started flicking her pen between her fingers. "You think Derek will kill him?"

The girl glanced at the back of Jackson's head and answered honestly, "Yes."

Jackson suddenly grabbed at his forehead – he even let out a grunt of pain.

"Hey – you okay?" the random dude asked.

"I just have to go to the bathroom," Jackson said, standing and fleeing.

Mr. Harris inquired as to his health but when Jackson just kept going with the off-hand excuse of needing water, the teacher followed him. "No one leave their seats," he announced. And then he disappeared.

Instantly, the two boys sprang from their seats and plopped down back at the she-wolf's table. "Stiles says you know how Jackson's birth parents died," Scott began.

"Maybe," Erica purred.

"Talk," Scott grunted.

After a moment, Erica finally revealed, "It was a car accident. My father was the insurance investigator. Now every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."

"So not only is he rich now, but he'll be richer when he turns eighteen?" Stiles scoffed a bit.

"Yup," Erica smirked. Paige tilted her head a bit because something was ringing in her ears. It was… Erica's heartbeat. Good God, her heart was racing. Why? It couldn't be… oh lordy, it was. It was Stilinski. That boy was the one having this affect on her.

"There is something deeply wrong with that," the cop's kid muttered.

"You know what," Erica whipped open her laptop. "I can try to find the insurance report in my dad's inbox. He keeps everything."

Paige smirked – suddenly knowing her true reason for trying to help these boys and then the intercom crinkled with sound. "Scott McCall, please report to the principal's office."

The boy's face lit up with surprise and when he made a move to stand, Paige's hand whipped out and grabbed his wrist. "You can't go alone," she said. "You don't know how dangerous Gerard can be."

"I… I'll be fine," he ripped his arm from her grasp. And then off he went. Paige only wasted a moment to glance at Erica before she took off after Scott.

A few days ago, there had been a hunter in her house. Before that, her grades had been irreversibly altered. This man was not someone to mess with and if anyone was going to take a chunk out of him, it was going to be her. Or Derek. Or both her and Derek at the same time.

"I'll be fine!" Scott called over his shoulder once he noticed she was following him.

"I'm not letting you go in there alone," she called back.

"Go back," he snapped, turning around and stopping.

"No," Paige responded, getting right up in his face. "You may not be part of the pack, but you're one of us. And I will do what I can to protect you, if I can."

Finally, he relented. When he entered the office, she leaned against the lockers and listened in on what was going on through the door.

"The principal wanted to see me," Scott began, hesitantly.

"No, I did," came a voice Paige didn't recognize. Was that the redhead receptionist? "I'm concerned about the detention today. How Allison ended up in there – with you." Why did this lady know Allison? Was she a hunter as well? Oh Lord, was this whole school infested with hunters? "A sink was ripped off the wall. You're lucky I'm hear to explain that to people somehow." Yup, definitely a hunter. "Do you realize that?"

"Yeah… I do now," he admitted.

"Good," she said shortly. That was followed by, "Are you having sex with my daughter?"

Paige nearly fell over. Oh no. That was Allison's mother in there. Oh my goodness! That's just… oh Lord.

There was a long, long silence. And then, "No. I'm not having sex with your daughter."

Stifling a giggle, Paige decided she didn't need to stay any longer. Scott was safe. And she really didn't want to have to look Scott in the face when he left the office because she knew she would laugh like a crazy person.

"Where were you?" Mr. Harris demanded immediately when she entered the library again.

"I had to use the bathroom," Paige lied.

"You shouldn't have left without my permission."

She gave a little shrug. "Okay, next time I'll just bleed on the chair."

The teacher stammered a bit, but Paige had proved her point and left to sit herself down. Erica shot her a smirk. "You're terrible," the girl said as she shoved her friend.

Paige just winked. "I'm bad to the bone."

"And… you ruined it," Stiles snarked.

Suddenly Mr. Harris stood and zipped up his bag. Paige was so ready to get out of there and get back to Derek, but the teacher had one more surprise for them – they were expected to reshelf the books. Did Paige even remember the Dewey Decimal system? Nope. No, she did not.

But still, they had no other choice.

Grimacing, Paige trailed after Erica and they got to work in the same aisle. "We found some interesting things out," the other she-wolf commented casually.

""We", as in – you and Stiles?" Paige batted her eyelashes at her friend.

Erica scowled and shoved a book onto the shelf with some rather unnecessary force. "You want to hear what we found out or not?"

"Sorry… please continue."

"Jackson was born via c-section, after his mother was already pronounced dead," Erica informed the other girl. "They literally ripped him from his mother's dead womb."

"That's…" Paige didn't even know what that was. Terrible. Tragic. "But her death was an accident, right?"

"Inconclusive," she shrugged.

"Shit…" the brunette muttered under her breath.

Paige was only just putting a book onto the shelf when the sound of broken glass exploded in her ears. "What the hell?" she shouted, ducking a bit.

This wasn't – this couldn't be the kanima, could it? Jackson had been grunting in pain all detention, but it would make more sense for him to shift during the night – or under stress. And if this was the kanima, could they handle him? Could they hold him off? There were three betas – and Scott was pretty damn strong alone. Paige suddenly wished Derek was here. And that desire for her alpha only grew as she heard Scott shout for the other two betas.

Giving a startled rumble, Erica shifted just slightly and turned to search for the danger. Paige's reaction was a bit faster – she was already fully shifted and out of the aisle, sharpening her senses for the kanima.

Something caught her on the arm, splintering wood digging into flesh and then muscle. Spinning from the impact, she twisted and her body found the floor. That asshole had thrown a chair at her, she realized as she struggled to her feet and saw the broken pieces on the floor – and one big splinter, about the size of a child's wrist, in her arm. She knew she needed to remove it. The sooner she removed it, the sooner it would heal. Grimacing, she grabbed the wood and yanked. The pain shot through her and she fell to the floor again, gasping for breath. God, she wished Derek was here.

She didn't remain long, though – Erica gave a strangled cry and Paige knew the kanima had gotten her as well.

Struggling back onto her feet, she had just enough time to see Jackson – already half human, half kanima – push Scott so hard he fell to the floor. But the creature didn't pursue attacking the boy.

Deciding to bypass that clusterfuck since apparently Jackson wasn't going to kill the other beta, Paige doubled back and worked her way around the other side of the aisle. She reached her friend in record time. "Erica," she called in a hushed voice as she knelt down next to the blonde. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes just stared blankly for a bit and Paige knew calling her back was a lost cause – and she knew she couldn't let the kanima out of her sight.

But there Jackson was, standing in front of the chalkboard, writing as though he was possessed. "Stay out of my way or I'll kill you all," the board said when he was all done. And then out the window he crashed.

Paige barely had a moment to process this new revelation before her friend began to violently shake. What? Becoming a werewolf had cured her of her seizures… hadn't it? Stiles appeared next to the two girls and said, "Hey, hey, hey, hey! I think she's having a seizure!"

Scott and Allison finally took note of the new situation.

They split up – Scott to Paige's side and Allison to deal with the random dude. "He's alive!" she announced. Paige had no idea what had happened to him but she hoped it wasn't permanent and he hadn't seen anything.

Stiles put his arms around Erica and for a moment Paige wanted to stop him. But that was Erica's business and apparently what Erica wanted. Maybe being in his arms would calm her down a bit. "We have get her to a hospital," Stiles suggested.

"Derek!" the seizing girl finally spoke up. "O-only to Derek."

Scott turned to Allison and spoke to her through an opening in the bookcase. "When we get her to the hospital," he began, only to be interrupted by Erica repeating, "Derek."

"It's okay," Paige turned her attention back to her pack mate, smoothing her curled blonde hair from her face. "We'll get you to Derek. I promise you."

"You're bleeding," Stiles pointed out. It was true, her arm was still leaking blood and the hole the wooden splinter had made was still very much present.

"I'm fine," she snapped.

"I'm staying with you," Scott announced and when Paige glanced up she realized that he had disappeared to the other aisle.

"He can't take her alone," Allison protested.

Paige was seriously getting annoyed. She had followed Scott to the principal's office to protect him. His stupid girlfriend was fine; she wasn't the one lying on the ground seizing. It was time he took care of his own. "Stiles can't carry her all the way there and I have a bum arm right now," Paige snapped. "We need you."

Erica's hand reached up and found Paige's shoulder, drawing her attention back to her pack mate. "We're going to get you home," she promised. "You're going to be fine."

When Paige glanced back at the lovebirds, she found Scott pressing a kiss to Allison's forehead. With a snarl, Paige stomped around the aisle and grabbed the younger beta by his hood. "Do something useful, would you!" she yelled.

Scott glared at Paige, but picked up Erica with ease.

And then, off to Derek they went.

* * *

**Preview:**

**Derek's thumb slid across her knuckles. "Yes, yes he is," he whispered. "One of the first times I interacted with Scott, he accused me of giving him the bite. He was so upset about it and I told him the bite was a gift. I told him that like it or not, we were brothers now. Sometimes it's felt like we were brothers, and sometimes like we were enemies."**

**"What does it feel like now?"**

**"Like the pack is becoming stronger…"**

**Paige slid a bit closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Maybe next year we can celebrate the Wolf Moon," she suggested quietly.**

**His heart was so steady and his breathing so peaceful. "Yes," he sighed. "I'd like that." There was a brief pause and then he reminded her, "Of course, you'll be in Illinois."**

* * *

_And if your strife strikes at your sleep_

_Remember spring swaps snow for leaves_

_You'll be happy and wholesome again_

_When the city clears and sun ascends_


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Mumford and Sons.**

**A/N: Shit! Twenty-five chapters. Whoosh. It's a thing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Roll away your stone, I'll roll away mine_

_Together we can see what we will find_

_Don't leave me alone at this time,_

_For I am afraid of what I will discover inside_

* * *

**Previously:**

**When Paige glanced back at the lovebirds, she found Scott pressing a kiss to Allison's forehead. With a snarl, Paige stomped around the aisle and grabbed the younger beta by his hood. "Do something useful, would you!" she yelled.**

**Scott glared at Paige, but picked up Erica with ease.**

**And then, off to Derek they went.**

* * *

Thankfully neither Isaac nor Boyd were at the hideout. Paige didn't know how they'd react to seeing their pack mate in such a state. And she really didn't want to have to tackle anyone to the ground to prevent them from trying to go after the kanima. Mostly because after cradling the girl's head in her lap for the car ride that might have lasted a few hours more than eternity, she was ready to go find Jackson and rip his face off.

"Derek!" Paige took off first. The scent told her that he was there – and she'd know his heartbeat anywhere.

Vaulting down the stairs, she burst into his train car. He was barely standing up from his mattress and when he saw her distraught face he sprinted out of the renovated car.

"What's wrong?" His hands were on her shoulders, suddenly. And then he tugged at her shirt to find the chunk of missing flesh that was only half healed. Who knew a chair could do so much damage? "What happened?"

"Don't worry about me!" Paige pulled away from him. "It's Erica!"

The next thing either of them knew, Scott was stepping into the car with Erica in his arms. Stiles was not far behind, stumbling as per usual.

"What happened?" Derek asked again as the boy put his burden down. Everyone knelt by the girl's side, expect for Paige who used the wall to prop herself up. She didn't know if she'd be able to get back up if she sat down at this point.

"The kanima," was all Scott had to say.

"Seizure," Paige added.

"Pull her up," Derek commanded.

Stiles situated himself behind Erica's head, cradling her and allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. The girl was whimpering and Paige felt her heart tug a bit. The jerking just looked painful. "Is she dying?" Stiles asked, frantic.

"She might… I…" Derek looked the girl up and down at a loss. And then, his jaw tightened as he made up his mind. "Which is why this is going to hurt," he said. His hands slid along her wrist, up her arm and then he snapped the bones.

A scream echoed out of Erica's mouth.

"You broke her arm!" Stiles yelled at Derek.

"It'll trigger the healing process," he tried to explain. Paige knew the look on his face – he was lost and hurting a member of his pack was hurting him as well. And it was something that went beyond alpha instinct. She knew as an alpha, he was able to feel that Erica was in pain, just instinctively. But at some level, Derek felt responsible for these kids as well – and knowing that he had put them in a position to be hurt wasn't helping the situation. "I still have to get the venom out… This is where it's really gonna hurt." His claws dug into her arm and the blood started pooling onto the train car floor. The smell was overpowering and Paige slid to the ground.

This was too much.

Erica's screams reached a crescendo and then she was just gasping for breath. Paige didn't know if she had just lost the power to scream or the pain was slowly dripping away.

With gentleness Paige didn't know Stiles had, he pushed some of Erica's hair from her face. Groggily, she turned to look at the boy and then she smiled a bit. "Stiles… You make a good Batman," she told him. One of her hands reached up to touch his arm. Paige didn't know what the girl was talking about, but she wished she did. Despite not liking Stiles, she thought it was a touching moment.

And then Erica fainted.

Derek only continued to drain her blood for a few more moments. He glanced up and looked at each person in the train car. Stiles was too busy staring at Erica like he had only just started seeing her. Scott was frowning at the blood on the floor. Paige was the only one to meet his gaze. She knew what he was seeing – a pale girl covered in blood, who was distraught and scared.

When the alpha gently put Erica's arm down and stood, Scott finally snapped out of his thoughts. "Can we talk?" he asked Derek, who nodded.

Paige crossed into the gutted car and shuffled through some of the stuff she had taken to leaving behind. She knew she had left an old t-shirt she only wore to bed… Quickly, she found it and returned to her alpha's side. "Here," she said, holding the shirt out. Derek hesitated for a second and so Paige assured him, "It's very old. Just… get that blood off your hands."

This time he took it and then he exited the car. Scott trailed after him. With one last glance at Stiles holding Erica, Paige followed the boys.

"You know who it is," Scott instantly accused.

"…Jackson," Derek admitted, sitting himself down on one of the many barrels. Scott stood directly in front of the alpha, but Paige took her place at Derek's side.

"You just wanted Erica to confirm it, didn't you?"

Derek nodded and looked off a bit.

The young beta glanced off into the distance before he said, "I'm gonna help you stop it." There was a pregnant pause and then… "As part of your pack." Derek's head swiveled as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing and Paige perked up. What? "If you want me in, fine. But I'll only do it on one condition." Derek's eyebrows shot up as he physically inquired about what exactly that one condition was. "We're going to catch him, not kill him."

"And?" Derek asked.

"We do it my way," Scott concluded.

Paige bristled a bit, but Derek seemed to accept those conditions. "Okay," he shrugged a bit.

"Okay…" Scott looked a little relieved and for a moment Paige wondered if he had honestly thought that Derek would turn him down. Then the boy glanced back at the train car. "You'll take care of her?" he asked.

"She's pack," Paige explained. "Of course we'll take care of her." She hoped that she was making it seem like being part of the pack was a good thing.

That seemed to pacify him. Paige decided to go check on Stiles and Erica – not that she thought Stiles was any kind of threat to the wolf. They were right where she left them. But Stiles seemed a bit more relaxed. "She's going to be all right, right?" he asked, a little grey in the face.

Coming kneel beside him, she assured the boy, "She'll be just fine."

"Good, good," he muttered. "Uh… could you take her?"

"Of course," Paige slid on her knees to get closer to the unconscious girl. Gently, Stiles shifted her from his arms into Paige's waiting embrace.

"How's your arm?" he asked, gesturing to the wound.

"Healing," Paige muttered. She wished it would completely heal already because Erica's extra weight was making her arm ache. "I'll be fine."

Stiles kind of nodded and then he stood. "I'm… I'm going to go find Scott."

Paige let him go. Cradling her friend in her arms, she vaguely heard Scott and Stiles leave before Derek returned to the car. "Still out?" he asked.

"Out cold," she clarified. "But the shaking stopped." She glanced up at Derek. "I thought you said her seizures would stop."

He frowned, but didn't say anything. Paige didn't push.

Derek knelt down on her other side and lifted Erica's arm. Turning it over, he revealed that the skin was already knitting itself back together. Murmuring something about that being a good sign, he stood and disappeared into the renovated train car. When he returned, he had bandages. Gently, he wrapped Erica's wound and took her from Paige's arms. By that time, Paige didn't have the energy to follow him back into the other car. Instead, she pulled herself up and plopped into one of the attached chairs.

When her alpha returned, he sat down next to her. Briefly, he tugged at the collar of her jacket before she realized he was trying to take it off. Wincing, she helped him remove the garment and then her shirt followed.

"This wasn't the kanima," Derek commented.

"Not his claws," Paige clarified. She let him wrap the gauze around the wound. "He smashed a chair over me. Then he got at Erica. Then he wrote something on the chalkboard."

"Scott told me," he said. "He also told me that the kanima is being controlled by someone else." He tied off the gauze and slid his hand down to her own, lacing their fingers together. "I want to do this right. I made Jackson into what he is. It's my responsibility to fix this. Scott said that the kanima can become a werewolf if it settles whatever made it turn into a kanima in the first place. If we can find who's controlling it and stop them, maybe we can save Jackson."

"You feel guilty," Paige realized.

"I bit him," Derek said softly.

Her hand tightened around his and she decided to change the subject. "So, Scott is part of the pack now…"

Derek's thumb slid across her knuckles. "Yes, yes he is," he whispered. "One of the first times I interacted with Scott, he accused me of giving him the bite. He was so upset about it and I told him the bite was a gift. I told him that like it or not, we were brothers now. Sometimes it's felt like we were brothers, and sometimes like we were enemies."

"What does it feel like now?"

"Like the pack is becoming stronger…"

Paige slid a bit closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Maybe next year we can celebrate the Wolf Moon," she suggested quietly.

His heart was so steady and his breathing so peaceful. "Yes," he sighed. "I'd like that." There was a brief pause and then he reminded her, "Of course, you'll be in Illinois."

She pulled away a bit. "I…" The words were nowhere to be found. "Yeah," she finally muttered. And then she totally pulled her body from his. "I need to get home and face the scolding that's waiting for me. I can come back if you need help with Erica," she offered.

"No, I got it," Derek said.

At some level, she knew that he _did_ want her to come back. But something was bothering him and he wasn't ready to discuss it. Paige figured it had something to do with her leaving California for college, but if he wasn't going to man up and tell her that he wanted her to stay, why should she?

Nodding, she pulled her shirt and jacket back on.

Before she left, she pressed a hesitant kiss on the scruff of his cheek. Almost as though to assure her that he wasn't completely shutting her out, he turned and caught her lips with his. She smiled against his mouth.

And then, it was time to face the music.

* * *

"A detention? We just had a talk with you about your behavior and instead of altering your choices for the better, you alter them for the worse." Her mother's frown dragged her mouth down a bit and deepened preexisting wrinkles.

"I wasn't involved in the fight," Paige tried to explain. "I was walking with my friend Erica and the next thing we know – these two guys are fighting. Other people pulled them off each other and then I stood in between them. The teacher who showed up didn't bother to actually figure out what was going on – he just gave everyone nearby a detention."

Her father continued to look at her skeptically. "You shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place," he told her simply.

"I thought I was helping," she said.

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions," he recited.

But they still didn't punish her – just sent her back to up to her room. It was more than she could ask for.

Exhausted, Paige shrugged her jacket off and pulled her sleeve up. The bandage hadn't become bloody and actually – she discovered when she lifted the gauze that it was mostly a scab now. Good, she'd be able to sleep comfortably… But she couldn't sleep yet.

Her research called to her.

The entire drive home, she had been thinking about the Wolf Moon and being here with her pack to celebrate it. If watching Erica screaming on the floor and damn near screaming right along with her had taught Paige anything it was that this pack meant everything to her.

She couldn't leave.

And so, if she couldn't leave that meant that she had to find a way to stay. Her parents wouldn't let her live under their roof or take their money unless she was at a four-year university. So – her search began.

There were some problems, of course. It was already February and some more prestigious schools in the area weren't accepting any more applications. But, there were still some universities that would take her, even this late in the year. Diligently, she complied a list. Applications could wait until tomorrow, she decided. And she didn't plan on telling Derek until he finally spoke up about wanting her to stay – or until his broody silence got too much for her to bare.

Taking a deep breath, she realized that this was exactly what she wanted.

* * *

"You definitely have got some color back," Paige commented with a sincere smile.

"Well, considering that last night our lovely alpha snapped my ulna like a cracker and then drained my blood all over the floor, yeah, I hope my super cool werewolf powers enable me to be functional the next day." Erica ran a hand through her limp blonde hair and leaned farther back against the wall.

The other beta had decided to wake up especially early the next morning so that she could pop in on her friend and see how she was doing. Part of her also wanted to maybe catch a glimpse of Derek before she went to school. She didn't really want to speak to the wolf, but she wanted to see him. Unfortunately, the alpha had gone to grab both himself and Erica some breakfast.

"I'm glad you still have your snark intact," Paige jested a bit. "That was initially my main concern when I was listening to you scream."

"I guess I was a pretty nasty sight last night, huh?"

The brunette shrugged casually. "If you're asking whether you creeped the Stilinski boy out, I think he was more focused on making sure you were all right. And you're right – he does make a good batman. When he isn't, you know, doing stuff that hurts Derek."

What little color Erica had gained back during the night quickly vacated her face. "I said that aloud?"

"He took it as a compliment," she assured her friend. "Don't worry. I think it's cute."

"It's not going to happen," Erica announced suddenly.

"What isn't?"

"Stiles and me," she clarified, giving a little sigh. "That was a different girl in a different body at a different time. But sometimes when I see him… my body just reacts the same way it used to. That's all."

The scent of freshly made bagels reached both of the girl's noses at the same time. Derek's footfalls reached them next and finally the door to the hideout opened. He of course had already known that Paige was there – he was just as familiar with Paige's scent as she was with his – if not more so because he'd been born a wolf. Holding up the bag of bagels, he announced, "Breakfast."

"Is there blueberry in there?" Paige asked, standing to approach him. While he hadn't known she was coming to visit, the fact remained that usually breakfast between the two lovers consisted of a blueberry bagel with nothing on it for Paige and an everything bagel with garlic cream cheese for Derek. She was hoping he had picked up a blueberry one on habit.

"Yeah," Derek simply said as he tossed her the bag.

"What about cinnamon raisin?" Erica spoke up as Paige pulled her favorite bagel from the bag and began to munch on it.

"Well, considering that that was what you asked me to pick up, I feel like it's safe to say that I bought it," the alpha snapped a bit. When Paige and Erica both frowned, he sighed and tugged off his jacket. "It's been a long night," he explained.

"Yeah. I know. I was there." Erica spoke tonelessly and with a minor scowl. Mostly, her whole expression and stance was weak. It had been a long night for her as well.

Paige glanced between the two and decided it was time to go. "I'm… gonna peace out," she announced.

"I'll walk you out," Derek offered.

There was a palpable silence up until they reached her car. Even the way they walked involved a bit of distance – Derek was dragging his feet and remained a good two feet behind her. Finally, Paige swallowed the rest of her bagel, turned around and without explanation wrapped her arms around his waist. She didn't like that she had missed out the night before – she should have stayed with Derek and Erica and helped the younger pack member throughout the night. That was part of the responsibility she had given herself as the eldest beta in the pack. It had felt wrong – her in her own bed back at her house and Erica sprawled on the floor of the train car, healing with painful slowness.

Gently pressing her face into his chest, she felt his own arms come to encircle her shoulders.

With some level of satisfaction, she realized she would in fact be able to go to school with Derek's scent on her. Those were always the best days – when her clothing would rustle and the smell of campfire and spice and old leather would reach her nose.

"Scott mentioned something about the vet," Derek finally said. "Apparently he knows a bit more than he's let on."

"Yeah," Paige murmured, suddenly sleepy. Being in the alpha's arms always kind of had that effect. "He healed Scott once and knew he was a werewolf. Also – there was some kind of barrier against wolves in the vet's office. Peter couldn't get in."

"I don't know what his game is, but we'll need to get all the help we can."

Paige couldn't help but agree. This was bigger than the pack – this was scary and strange and they had nearly lost Erica the night before. They wouldn't lose anyone else, Paige mentally decided.

"Are you going to go talk to him?" she asked.

"I'll talk to Scott first," he said. "And I'll keep you informed."

"Okay, thank you," she muttered distractedly. A yawn really wanted to work it's way out of her mouth, but she was too content hugging Derek to let go just yet. She could hold it in.

Snugging closer, she tightened her grip around him briefly. Half of her heart was encouraging her to tell him about her change in plans – she had compiled her list of schools and was planning to begin applications that night. The other half of her heart decided that she wanted to… test him a bit.

That sounded terrible, she knew but with a man like Derek – she wasn't sure exactly what he had in mind for them as a couple, or whatever they were. It was probably her teenage girl insecurity at work here, but once he had said that things would never work between the two of them. Sleeping with her probably meant that he had reconsidered some things. But whether he intended to make this last past graduation was another thing entirely. Personally, Paige was interested in making their… relationship last as long as possible. She had never felt like this about a boy. Quite honestly, she didn't think that Derek had much reason to want her gone – he had never expressed any displeasure in her besides when she had gone after the kanima against his wishes.

If he wanted to make this last, if he was serious about this, he would ask her to stay in California. Or maybe he'd just command her to stay. Actually, knowing Derek – it was more likely to be a command than a request.

Either way, Paige just wanted to know where they stood and decided that she wouldn't tell him that her plans had changed.

Finally, she remembered that she needed to get to school. Reluctantly, she lifted hers head from Derek's chest and said, "I have school."

"What's the purpose of school at this point?" Derek asked, reaching up to cup the back of her head and gently guide it back to his chest.

"An education," she giggled, throwing his words from the other day back in his face. But still, holding him like this was very tempting. Her parents already thought she was flunking out, ditching school and getting into fights in the hallway. Why not just drop out?

Shifting from foot to foot, Derek gently rocked the two of them back and forth. "There are different kinds of educations," he protested. "I bet I can still teach you quite a bit."

"And who's to say I can't still teach _you_ quite a bit," she smiled against his dark shirt. She loved when he let his guard down long enough to be playful.

There was a brief pause before, "I should have had you stay last night."

Frowning, Paige tilted her head up so that she could at least see his jaw. "Erica was there, that would have been weird."

"No," Derek blinked as he realized what he implied. "Not – no, that would have been weird. I meant that I shouldn't have sent you home – Erica survived, obviously, but when she woke up she was frantic and even her sleep was fitful. The other pack members look up to me for the strength and guidance. They look to you for comfort and counsel. Your presence would have been better than mine last night."

Her fingernails dug a bit into the flesh of his back, and slowly a smile slid across her face. She liked the idea that the pack members thought they could rely on her and that Derek thought she was a useful member of the pack. Being useful was something Paige had always been good at – useful for doing the dishes, useful for doing the laundry, cooking dinners, packing lunches, running errands, essentially anything her parents and brother didn't have time to do because they actually had lives. Now, it was Paige's turn to be useful as something other than a domestic servant.

"Well, now we know," Paige shrugged.

Gingerly, Derek slid his hands from her shoulders, down her sides and onto her hips. "School," he muttered, placing a kiss on her lips briefly.

"You were just advocating against it," she reminded him.

"And if you don't leave soon, I might start supporting truancy again," Derek sighed.

Then, he completely let her go. The places where he had been pressed against her glowed with warmth. Gracefully, he pivoted on his heel and turned to head back inside.

Paige searched her purse for her keys and when her sleeve rustled a bit, a burst of Derek-scent slithered under her nose. With a small smile she paused her search and grabbed the collar of her shirt – bringing it up to give it a sniff.

"Did you just sniff yourself?"

Jumping a foot in the air, Paige finally recognized the voice to be Derek's. Twisting her head a bit she saw that he had apparently turned back and had seen that embarrassing display. The collar dropped from her hand and she blushed. "It smells like you," she admitted softly.

Derek allowed the smile he reserved only for her to grace his lips. "Wolves – the actually animals – mark territory by urinating or defecating on what they deem their territory. It's called scent marking. In werewolf culture, we have a… cleaner way of marking our territory."

"Should I consider myself sufficiently scent marked?"

"Most definitely."

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Is saving him worth the effort of risking our lives?"**

**Derek's hand paused it's rummaging for a few beats. Then gingerly, he removed the pants from his trunk. Standing up slowly, he finally turned to face her and said, "I don't know."**

**"If one of the pack is killed because of this, I blame Scott," Paige muttered darkly, removing her shirt with an angry flourish.**

* * *

_It seems that all my bridges have been burned,_

_But, you say that's exactly how this grace thing works_

_It's not the long walk home_

_that will change this heart,_

_But the welcome I receive with the restart_


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Flogging Molly.**

**A/N: I will be in a different state this Saturday. You will get a chapter on Friday, instead. I know – I know. You guys hate it so much when I post early. I'm so sorry. I'm certain it'll probably happen again. Don't hate me too much. Also - hope you like the preview for the next chapter. I am such a lover of the fluff. Such a lover of the fluff.**

**I just wanted to say that this story has reached over 250 reviews. That is the most reviews I have ever received. Thank you all so much for all of the support!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_The colour of her eyes_

_Were the colour of insanity_

_Crushed beneath her wave_

_Like a ship, I could not reach her shore_

_We're all just dancers on the Devil's Dance Floor_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Derek allowed the smile he reserved only for her to grace his lips. "Wolves – the actually animals – mark territory by urinating or defecating on what they deem their territory. It's called scent marking. In werewolf culture, we have a… cleaner way of marking our territory."**

**"Should I consider myself sufficiently scent marked?"**

**"Most definitely."**

* * *

Paige was just sitting down to take a math test, even though the grade didn't matter because of stupid asshole Gerard Argent, when she got the text. _Stopping by the vet's after dark. Bringing you and Isaac._

Sighing a bit, Paige nibbled at her pencil. This might end up being a long night tonight as well. At least she still smelled like Derek. Discreetly, she lowered her head a bit and took another sniff. Maybe Derek still smelled like her? That was a comforting thought. And if he did smell like her – did he occasionally sniff at his clothing, too?

"We're going to see the vet tonight," she informed Isaac as she came to sit next to him during lunch. Boyd and Erica hadn't arrived yet. The boy gave a nod to show that he had heard her.

"Jackson is acting… normal," Isaac countered, gesturing to the boy across the room. "I keep expecting him to suddenly freak out. Derek said that the kanima and Jackson are two separate entities – which is why the poison didn't work. You think that's true?"

Paige watched her brother's good friend warily. "Maybe. Possibly. I suppose we'll find out."

"He killed my father," Isaac said suddenly.

"I…" Paige didn't know what to say. She had seen the cage in the basement – she had seen the way Isaac flinched when someone got a bit too close. Paige honestly couldn't say whether she thought his death was a good thing for her pack mate.

But Isaac didn't expect her to say anything. Maybe he was thinking the same thing. Instead, he asked, "How's Erica?"

Now, _that _was something Paige could answer.

Directly after dropping Wyatt off at the house, Paige returned to the hideout and was glad to find Erica gone. That meant that the girl was able to at least take care of herself in the comfort of her own home. And that meant the world to Paige, knowing her friend was all right.

"And I'm not coming because…?" Boyd was asking as Paige hopped down the stairs.

"Because the hunters are surely watching the vet at this point," Derek explained with forced patience. "I would rather they think that there is only three of us. Erica's cover was blown by the fight in the library. You're still a wild card. And all we're doing is talking."

The alpha noticed that Paige had arrived. "What's on the agenda for today, Derek?" Paige asked.

"Some last minute training – and then the vet and then some more training," the wolf said. "Scott told me that earlier he saw Jackson buying a ticket for a rave that's going on tomorrow night. He's going to kill again. We need to stop him before that can happen tomorrow."

"Got it," Paige bit her lip, but then banished any negative thoughts from her mind. Ditching her coat, she prepared for training.

Positioning herself in the very middle of the station, she shifted her feet and steadied her body. Gesturing for him to attack, she snarked, "Bring it on, Der-der."

He had been in the process of crouching so that he could spring at her with more force, but when he heard her teasing, he tensed. His face gave a spasm but he fell back into a deep crouch as soon as he got his features under control. "Don't call me that," he demanded.

"Why?" she teased again, cocking her head to smirk at him. "What's wrong, Der-der?"

"Paige."

And that was all he had to say.

Immediately, she recognized that tone in his voice. She had only heard it a few other times, when the alpha had been at his lowest. Her mouth dropped open, realizing that she had been the one to put that tone into his voice. Why? Because she was taunting him in front of the betas? Because he wasn't in the mood to joke? No… Something bigger than that. This was something bigger than that. And her mouth snapped closed, because her alpha was springing at her.

Her brain fell into the battle.

* * *

When they finally took a break Isaac left for the local diner, promising to bring the group back some burgers and fries.

They took a seat on the same barrel. Derek didn't say anything, so Paige texted her brother to remind him that she wasn't going to be home in time for dinner and that there was some pasta in the fridge. She had only just hit the send button when Derek spoke up.

"My sister used to call me Der-der," he threw out softly. It almost seemed like he was talking to himself.

Her heart sunk. Stuffing her phone into her pocket, she looked up at him and said, "Derek… I'm –"

"Don't apologize," he sighed.

"But," she sputtered.

"Paige, really," he breathed a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You didn't know."

"Even if I didn't, I still," she paused to think and then finished, "I don't like causing you pain. Even unintentionally."

Leaning over a bit, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Isaac's back," he told her.

"I can hear him," she agreed.

The boy was crunching through the gravel up above. Each crumble pressed a little tighter into her heart. How could she have done something like that? At the base level, she knew that it wasn't her fault – but, that really didn't stop her from feeling bad regardless. She knew how deep Derek's guilt about his family went, but they had never spoken about his family. It was too full of pain. It was taboo. It was the past. They had been spending all of their time in the present. The future was some farfetched thing – but Paige had been hoping to keep it as pain-free as possible. Apparently she'd already fucked that up.

"You're the main thing that takes it away," Derek commented lightly just as the door banged open.

She didn't have a chance to respond.

* * *

Deciding to hang back a bit, Paige smiled at the sight of the two wolves walking side by side. Isaac was actually taller than Derek but not as muscular or broad in the shoulders. Either way, it was a sight to see as they strutted their stuff, like they owned the night and nothing was going to change that. Briefly, Derek glanced back and shot her a small, tight smile.

"What's he doing here?" was the first thing that came out of Scott's mouth as he opened the door and let the incomplete pack of wolves into the building.

"I need him," Derek simply shot back.

"I don't trust him."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't trust you either," Isaac snapped with his usual swagger.

"And Derek really doesn't care," the alpha spoke up.

"Did you seriously just speak in third person?" Paige muttered behind him.

Derek ignored her in favor of interrogating Scot a bit. "So now, where's the vet? Is he going to help us or not?"

"That depends," came a voice in the doorway. Wow, Paige hadn't even heard anyone move. Whatever this dude was, she didn't think it was human. "Your friend Jackson, are we planning to kill him or save him?"

"Kill him," Derek and Paige both said in unison at the same time that Scott said, "Save him."

The beta threw Derek a glare and repeated, "_Save him_." For a moment Derek's facial expression didn't change. Paige half expected him to argue, to insult the boy, to do something – anything that wasn't set his lips into a firm line and then continue to remain silent. Satisfied, Scott turned back to the vet and said, "Save him."

After a moment, the vet nodded and guided them into the back room. When Derek hung back ever so slightly and continued to frown at the back of Scott's head, Paige slipped her hand into his. Giving him a reassuring squeeze, she tugged a bit and he followed her to the back. She knew he sincerely disliked the fact that he had just taken orders from a beta. And a part of her was also a little miffed that the first instinct wasn't to put the dangerous creature down.

Derek's frustration was evident as the vet placed a box full of jars on the table and Isaac reached out a hand to grab one of them. Instantly, Derek's hand was on the boy's wrist and he growled, "Watch what you touch." With an exasperated sigh, Derek threw the boy's appendage away from him.

But Isaac wasn't upset. Instead, he leaned over the table a bit, resting his elbows on the metal and asked, "So what are you? Some kind of witch?"

Good question.

"No," the man responded. "I'm a veterinarian." When Isaac just gave a cocky nod, the vet explained, "Unfortunately I don't see anything here that would be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin."

"We're open to suggestions," Derek responded.

"What about an effective offense?" Isaac threw out there. The way he said it made Paige think he was aching for a fight. She was aching for a fight. There was nothing she wanted to do more than get her claws into the kanima's throat and tear out his heart. Oh, Lord – she needed a fight.

"No, I already tried," the alpha explained – more to the vet than the boy. "I nearly took its head off. And Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up." Paige shivered a bit.

"Has it shown any weaknesses?"

"Well one, it can't swim."

"Does that go for Jackson as well?" the vet asked.

"Isn't he like captain of the swim team?" Paige asked, speaking up for the first time. The vet glanced at her briefly and something sparked in his eye but Paige didn't have time to identify it.

"Essentially, you're trying to catch two people," the vet explained, turning his gaze to the group. He crossed the room and pulled a medallion from a drawer. Holding it up he said, "A puppet." Then he put the medallion on the table. "And a puppeteer. One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?"

"I don't think Jackson could do it," Scott said. "His mother died pregnant, too and she was maybe murdered. I think he couldn't let the same thing happen to someone else?"

"How do you know it's not part of the rules?" Isaac asked. "The kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies, too."

"Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Scott questioned, not unkindly. Paige briefly braced herself thinking that Isaac would take that the wrong way.

But he shrugged a bit and simply said, "Wouldn't surprise me if he was."

"So…" Paige frowned. "That could be a good thing – if Jackson couldn't kill the mom because the innocent kid would die too, that means the master doesn't have the control over the kanima enough to make it just kill whoever he wants dead – right?"

Scott gave a reluctant nod.

"Hold on," the vet broke in. "The book says they're bonded, right? What if the fear of water isn't coming from Jackson, but from the person controlling him? What if," he trailed off a bit as he picked up a jar and opened it. "Something that affects the kanima also affects its master?" He sprinkled the black powder around the medallion on the table.

"Meaning what?" Isaac asked.

"Meaning we can catch them," Scott realized. "Both of them."

* * *

"And how do you feel about that?" Erica asked later that night when they all regrouped at the hideout.

"It's our best shot," Derek admitted. "This might be our only chance." A frown tugged at his face briefly before he sighed. "We're going to trap it in the rave. The master will probably be there too – the last time he sent Jackson to kill someone he didn't succeed. This time he'll make sure the deed is done. Scott will sedate the kanima and then Stiles will trap it in using mountain ash. That way both the master and the kanima will be in the same area."

"Is that safe?" Boyd asked. "If Jackson is going there tomorrow night to kill someone, should we really be locking them in together?"

There was a moment when the alpha's face tightened slightly. "We have no other choice," he finally admitted.

Later, the younger beta's dispersed and Paige was left with her alpha. Derek retreated into the train car and quietly she followed him. Immediately, he yanked off his shirt and tossed it in the designated "dirty clothes" corner. "Is this worth the effort?" Paige asked as she sat on the mattress.

"Is what worth the effort?" Derek replied absently searching for his usual pair of pajama pants.

"Is saving him worth the effort of risking our lives?"

Derek's hand paused it's rummaging for a few beats. Then gingerly, he removed the pants from his trunk. Standing up slowly, he finally turned to face her and said, "I don't know."

"If one of the pack is killed because of this, I blame Scott," Paige muttered darkly, removing her shirt with an angry flourish. Her bra followed it.

"Don't blame Scott," he said quietly. "If one of us is killed because of this, it will be my fault for not putting up a fight against Scott about saving Jackson." One quick tug at his belt and the zipper of his jeans and his pants hit the floor. It was nothing new, seeing him like this, but Paige still felt her cheeks heat up. The pajama pants replaced the jeans a bit too quickly.

She was so focused on his lower anatomy, she realized she had been neglecting the expression on his face – his blue eyes were navy and his eyebrows curved upwards. It was an expression she had only seen on his face a handful of times.

"You put too much on yourself," she told him. Leaning forward, she grabbed his hand and gently guided him down onto the mattress. He sat down with a _plop _and allowed Paige to come kneel behind him and wrap her arms around his shoulders. Life was too stressful right now to be intimate, but that didn't mean she didn't absolutely enjoy sleeping beside the wolf. "There's only so much you can control," she told him, pressing a soft kiss to his earlobe.

There was only about half a second before Derek grabbed her wrists and threw her off his shoulders. It wasn't enough to physically hurt her, but it was rough nonetheless. Paige bounced onto the mattress, shocked.

Red eyes flashing, he twisted around to say, "I could control serving my family up on a silver platter to Kate. I could control coming back to Beacon Hills with my sister. I could control a lot of things. But I always make the wrong decision. So yes, Paige, if things turn out badly – it's my fault. It's just one more bad decision to add to my list. All right?" He didn't wait for her response. Instead he just twisted back around and put his head into his hands.

No. Not all right.

Paige lurched forward a bit and grabbed him by his shoulders, claws digging into tender flesh near his collarbone. Dragging his body backwards, she yanked him flat on his back before jumping to straddle him around his waist. His expression was a mixture of shock and anger, but he didn't push her off. Not even when she leaned forward and pressed her hands into his pectorals – her claws slipping past the top layer of flesh.

"You couldn't have possibly known what Kate was going to do," Paige growled in his face. "You couldn't have possibly known that Laura was going to die. Your decisions are usually fine – it's that you aren't a _psychic_ Derek. You're making the best of what you have in front of you. So yeah, maybe if one of the pack dies I won't blame Scott. But I sure as hell won't blame you – you sacrifice way too much for the people around you and if it was in your power, you'd prevent it – shit, you'd _die_ to prevent it, you idiot. That's who you are. So, shut up," she finally snapped.

The alpha didn't say anything for a bit, but the anger in his bones had faded. She felt him relax between her tense legs. Finally, his expression soften and he reached a tentative hand up to cup her cheek. On instinct, she leaned into the touch and sighed into the rough skin of his palm. This man knew how to calm her down. This man knew her in and out and she knew him too. She smiled as she realized he believed her. Her words had reached him – reached past his guilt, his pain.

Then a smirk squirmed onto his face and his hands slid up her thighs and suddenly she remembered that she was shirtless. And when Derek grasped her hips and flipped her under his body, she wasn't even surprised. Roughly, his hand came up to fondle one of her breasts. Breathless, Paige yanked his head down to meet her lips.

Apparently there are other ways to relieve stress besides resting.

And Paige very much enjoyed them.

* * *

Swaggering through the hall beside Erica, Paige felt perfectly at home. Tonight was a big night, she knew. But truly – the fact that tonight was a big night because the pack of werewolves she was a part of was battling a lizard creature at a rave was a bit too commonplace right now. Three months ago, she couldn't have even begun to dream about this shit. Yet here she was, doing crazy supernatural things and it had stopped fazing her. She should write a book, she decided. Except – that was too much effort. Her life was busy – super, super full of the supernatural.

Even here, at school – the place that had been her source of torment for ages was suddenly her domain – her territory. And with her pack by her side, she felt invincible.

"What do you think happened to them?" Erica spoke up.

"Hm?" Paige glanced around and immediately noticed who she was talking about. Even across the hall Paige could smell the drying blood on their faces. Two boys staggered past the girls, bloody and bruised.

"Stiles and Scott needed tickets for tonight," Isaac explained, suddenly appearing next to them. "Those lovely young men weren't in a very generous mood. I couldn't help but be offended."

Giggling, Paige reached over and hugged her pseudo-boyfriend. "You are terrible."

"Terribly _awesome_," he shot back.

* * *

"I don't think I've ever actually been to your house…" Paige realized.

"I know," Erica tossed her hair over her shoulder a bit. "My mom doesn't like company. But to be fair, I've never been to your house either. C'mon, my room is upstairs."

"Are we having a fashion show?" the brunette asked. "Is that what we're doing tonight?"

"Tonight we're going to a rave – and I intend to be the hottest girl there." After a bit of shuffling in her closet, Erica pulled out two shirts. "I know I want to wear my leather skirt, but I'm still undecided. This," she held up a black, see-through tube top. "Or this," she held up a white tank top.

"That one," Paige pointed to the white tank top. "It'll look nice with the black skirt. And like you aren't trying too hard."

Erica winked. "I never try hard."

* * *

Returning to her own home, Paige rustled through her own closet. It hadn't occurred to her to dress up for tonight. Yeah, she was going to a rave but… they were going there to catch a kanima. Why would she wear something impractical? Did it have to be impractical to look good?

Pulling a shirt from its hanger, she held it up. She remembered buying this one – it was a cutoff dark teal shirt that made her eyes spark up into one distinct color. Combined with some dark wash short-shorts, ripped tights and leather combat boots… she figured she'd look pretty frickin' hot.

Maybe.

At the very least, she'd still be able to tackle a kanima.

She did however take care to braid her fringe back and put her hair into a ponytail. It would do no good if her hair got in her face and blinded her. And she even took time to do her makeup. When all was said and done, she was satisfied.

Briefly, she wondered what Derek would think.

Then she decided he probably had bigger things to worry about – as did she.

* * *

"We're going to get in and attack at once," Derek announced. "The kanima will have nowhere to go – but neither will we. And we have to prepare for that. It will be difficult. It will be bloody. And I'm sorry about that." Glancing between everyone, he finally asked, "Ready?"

"Ready," they all chorused together.

Erica, Isaac and Boyd all slipped out. They would all take separate cars so that they could have multiple escape routes. Paige was just making sure that she had everything she needed in her purse before she left and then from behind hands slid up her hips, to her bare waist.

"_What_ are you wearing?" Derek's voice inquired into her ear.

"Clothing," she answered, letting her purse fall to the floor so that she could place her hands over his, guiding them around to slide across her exposed belly.

"Not enough of it."

"Are you complaining?" she asked, leaning back a bit to rub her cheek against his scruff.

"Not at all." He growled deep in his throat and squeezed her tightly.

"We have a kanima to catch," she reminded him, reluctantly.

Instantly, his hands left her body and he stepped away. "I know," he frowned. And suddenly all the insecurities he couldn't or wouldn't show in front of the pack appeared on his face. He was scared. Maybe more scared than Paige.

Gently, she reached out and grabbed his hands. Bringing them up to her lips, she pressed a sweet kiss on one hand and then the other. "We know what we're doing," she said softly. "You've taught us well and we've all been improving leaps and bounds. We know how to fight now – we're ready for this."

His head nodded, but his eyes remained clouded. And Paige knew then that there was nothing to say that would make him not worry. Only a death-free, positive outcome to catching the kanima would put his mind at rest.

One more parting kiss later and she guided him out to his car, never letting go of his hand.

When she got into her own car, she pressed her forehead against the steering wheel and tried to breathe. It was going to be a long night, she decided. A long, difficult night. And even though she had never really bothered going to church with her parents and she wasn't sure she even believed in God and she didn't know if werewolves had their own deities, she still sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening. "Let us get out of this okay," she whispered.

She had only just pulled into the parking garage a few spaces down from Derek's car and hopped out of her when she saw that the gang was all there. Isaac was shifting on his feet, Erica was biting her lips and Boyd was picking his nails. Paige knew their nervous ticks.

"Scott sent a text," Derek announced once Paige came to stand beside him. "Apparently Allison is in the building and the Argents are also planning on capturing the kanima tonight. We're going to have to change plans." Briefly, he grit his teeth. "I'm going to handle the Argents with Boyd and Paige. Isaac, you and Erica will go find Scott and sedate the kanima. Once it's knocked out Stiles can break the mountain ash barrier and we'll regroup. Any questions?"

No one said anything. And Paige knew it was less because they didn't have anything to ask but because they were scared. They were all so scared.

"Let's do this," Paige said simply.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"You said that you didn't love me then." Paige's eyes flew open and she knew what his next question was going to be. "Do you love me now?"**

* * *

_Well swing a little more, little more o'er the merry-o_

_Swing a little more, a little more next to me_

_Swing a little more, little more o'er the merry-o_

_Swing a little more, on the Devil's Dance Floor_


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Mumford and Sons.**

**A/N: As per usual, you all are lovely and here's your update!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_But tell me now where was my fault,_

_in loving you with my whole heart?_

_Oh, tell me now where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart?_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"Scott sent a text," Derek announced once Paige came to stand beside him. "Apparently Allison is in the building and the Argents are also planning on capturing the kanima tonight. We're going to have to change plans." Briefly, he grit his teeth. "I'm going to handle the Argents with Boyd and Paige. Isaac, you and Erica will go find Scott and sedate the kanima. Once it's knocked out Stiles can break the mountain ash barrier and we'll regroup. Any questions?"**

**No one said anything. And Paige knew it was less because they didn't have anything to ask but because they were scared. They were all so scared.**

**"Let's do this," Paige said simply.**

* * *

This time, Paige walked beside the two other wolves at Derek's right side. They were all one – one pack headed by their alpha, prepared to fight to the death. Throwing a small smirk at the hunters, she swayed her hips with each step until the alpha paused.

She hadn't seen Chris Argent for a long time – he looked older, more worn out. But it had only been months since she had met him. Though… even being in close proximity to Derek, she had begun to notice how much older and tired her alpha had become. This supernatural life kills from exhaustion.

There was group of hunters behind their leader, all of them heavily armed. Briefly, she wondered how many of the bullets in their guns would end up in her flesh, or Boyd's flesh or Derek's flesh. And then she banished those thoughts because if they fought hard enough then it wouldn't matter – there would be no casualties. There couldn't be any casualties. Paige couldn't handle it if a member of the pack died.

"Derek," Argent sighed with exasperation. "Back off."

""Back off"? That – that's really all you got?" Derek mocked. "I got to be honest Chris, I was really expecting more from the uh, big bad veteran werewolf hunter."

Argent gave the alpha a condescending smile before saying, "Okay then. How about – didn't anyone ever tell you not to bring claws to a gun fight?"

Immediately, the row of hunters behind Argent lifted and cocked their guns. Paige's body shifted a bit, prepared to fight. But they didn't begin shooting instantly.

"Yeah," Boyd said. "That one sounded pretty good."

That was the only chance any of the wolves had to say anything because suddenly bullets were firing. Gasping, Paige felt pain explode in her forearm as one of the projectiles pierced her skin. And then suddenly, someone was yanking her other arm – she stumbled along as Derek guided her and Boyd behind a nearby dumpster.

"Did you get hit?" Derek asked the two betas, shouting over the sound of gunfire.

"Just in my arm!" Paige shouted back. "I can still fight, though!" She could feel the warm blood already leaking from the bullet wound.

The alpha inspected her arm briefly, before his claws came out and he used them to yank the bullet free. Paige muffled her groan into her shoulder and tried to clear her head. The bullet sprang free from her flesh with a little _pop_. They were trapped. They were sitting ducks here.

_Fine then, let's get down to business and start some offensive,_ she decided.

And it seemed like that was Derek's plan too because suddenly he sprang free from behind the dumpster and Boyd followed him. Half a breath later, Paige also bounded from her hiding spot. Vaguely, she knew that Derek and Boyd were in their own little corners with their own little fights and she wanted to keep tabs on them – but the second a hunter spotted her and lifted his gun she knew she had to focus on her own survival first and foremost here.

Taking three steps in a single leap, she landed right in front of the hunter. He was startled off balance a bit and she easily ripped the gun from his hands and used it to bash him over the head. Then, down he went. Only to be replaced with another hunter.

She didn't see the taser until it was too late. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she tried to figure out her next course of action – rip the thing out, tackle the one holding the taser, lie down and die. Her decision was made for her when Boyd literally picked the man up by his neck and tossed him away like a rag down. The relief was instant. Paige took what little time she had to recover to pull the taser from her skin and find a new target. When a bullet ripped through her shoulder, she knew she probably wasn't going to have a new target. Growling, Paige clutched her shoulder and felt herself shift into wolf form. This was a kind of pain she had never experienced before, she realized. Something was wrong with this bullet.

"Get to cover," Derek suddenly said into her ear. She didn't even remember him reaching her. When she just shook her head, still desperate to fight – the hunters were still there – the hunters were still armed – they had a job to do, to get done, to finish – he grabbed her good shoulder and shoved her back towards the dumpster.

_Fine, _she decided. _I'll take a five second break. But that's it. No way in hell I'm leaving those two out there to fight without me._

Leaning against the metal container, she yanked her shirt down a bit and this time used her own claws to remove the bullet. Quite frankly, she wasn't aware she had that kind of will power. When the bullet wound didn't immediately close up, she realized there was a problem. What exactly was wrong though? Her healing powers had never failed her before. Was the bullet different?

Derek's grunt of pain brought her back down to earth.

She didn't deliberate before she hopped clear over the dumpster and came at the first man in her sight. Her heart was telling her to find Derek, but her brain was telling her to not do anything stupid. Mostly, she figured if she took down every single one of the hunters systematically, she would eventually get to the ones hurting her alpha. But by the time her claws subdued the hunter in her way, Derek had already disarmed the two that had apparently been tasing him.

Either way, she was back in the battle.

Turning on the next hunter, she barely had time to get her claws out before yet another bullet pierced her skin – this time in her leg. Grimacing, she realized that this wound was just like her shoulder one – it probably wasn't going to heal quite as quickly. Limping, she found herself behind the dumpster again.

Soon, her boys joined her, taking shelter from the gunfire for a bit.

"I think I stopped healing," Boyd complained, breathless and sweaty.

"Bullets," Derek grunted. "They're laced with wolfsbane. You got to go to the car." He turned his head and looked down at Paige. "Did you get hit?"

"I'm fine," she said. But that was only a little bit true – her shoulder and leg hurt like a motherfucker and she knew the bullets must have been laced with wolfsbane as well.

Derek only observed her for a moment. Maybe he bought what she was trying to sell. Maybe he just knew better at this point than to argue with her. Either way, he told Boyd, "Get out of here."

"What about you two?"

"I have to find Scott," Derek explained. "Go." Boyd didn't move for a second. He just glanced at Paige. "Go!" he repeated a bit more forcefully this time.

Boyd only hesitated for a few more moments before taking off.

"Okay, there's only a few left," the alpha explained. "We can outsmart and outrun them. Let's go on three. One, two, three…"

Instantly, they hopped straight over the dumpster together. Paige's body was dragging, she knew – it was the bullet in her thigh. Everything about her was slow and stunted and it most definitely had to do with whatever those bullets had been laced with. Regardless, she was perfectly capable of keeping up with Derek as he leapt at the nearest hunter, knocking the man off his feet and creating an open path for them to escape through. Once they broke free of the group, it was easy sailing, but still a longer run than Paige would have wanted to partake in, given her injury.

Quickly and thankfully, they both caught sight of Stiles. The closer Paige got, the worse she felt. Was it her wounds? Were they getting worse? Should she have left with Boyd?

"So, we kind of lost Jackson inside," Stiles explained, wincing a bit as the two wolves halted in front of him.

Paige glanced at the building and breathed a sigh of relief as both Isaac and Erica exited, appearing unharmed. But… something was still wrong. Frowning, both of them approached the row of black powder Paige hadn't realized was there. Isaac knelt in front of it and his scowl deepened. And suddenly, Paige realized that this was the trap for the kanima. Whatever that powder was, was making her ill… it was just… wrong. It was a _wrong_ feeling deep in her stomach.

"Oh my god!" Stiles said suddenly. "It's working! Uh, this is – I did something." He smiled smugly.

Paige nearly rolled her eyes but Derek's expression caught her attention. He wasn't looking at the powder; he was gazing off into the distance with a very troubled look on his face.

"Derek?" she inquired. "What's wrong?"

"Something's not right…" he said. "Also, I can smell fresh blood – and a lot of it."

"You think the kanima found his victim?" Paige felt her heart race.

"I don't…" but he didn't finish. He trailed off. His voice died and it was replaced by the very clear sound of someone off in the distance howling like their life depended on it.

"Scott," Derek muttered. "Break it," he commanded Stiles.

"No way!" Stiles protested.

"Scott's dying!" As Derek said it, Paige felt her heart break a bit. It was true. That was the cry of a dying wolf and suddenly she felt guilty for ever thinking that she should blame Scott for this.

"Okay, what? How do you know that?"

"I just know!" Derek shouted, frantic now. "Break it!"

With a huge groan, Stiles knelt down and _whoosh,_ the sick feeling in her stomach was gone. Instantly, Derek sprung into action, taking off. Paige only paused briefly to tell Isaac and Erica to meet back at the hideout and help Boyd with the first aid kit, and then she was hot on his heels.

She didn't pay attention to which way that went – it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Scott needed help and Derek knew where he was and she was going to follow him. Frantic feet took them to a random room in the back part of the building – but Paige didn't get a good look at it, the strobe light was damn near blinding her.

All that she could see, however, was Scott lying on the floor. Stumbling to him, she knelt beside him and tried to roll him over.

"Ah!" came Derek behind her. Turning, Paige spotted her alpha struggling against a women she didn't recognize – except, yes, it was the receptionist lady at the school – Allison's mom.

Standing, Paige tried to keep track of the fight. But that damn strobe light was literally making each move seem like a picture – flash, flash, flash. A growl burst from the battle and the lady cried out. But then, Derek was pushed and rolled toward Scott and Paige. Truly, she hadn't realized how injured her alpha must be until this moment. Derek crouched, but realized Allison's mom had disappeared. Fine. Good.

"How is he?" Derek asked, breathless again as he gained his footing – the threat now gone.

"Alive," Paige responded. She could still hear his heartbeat even though it was weak.

"Help me lift him," he commanded.

Gingerly, they picked him up and carried him from the building, out to Paige's waiting car. Derek took the drivers seat but Paige opted to slip into the back and press her fingers to his pulse point.

"Where?" was all Paige could even begin to say.

"The vet." Derek put the car in reverse and sped off.

"He still has a pulse," she noted, shifting to rest his head in her lap. The boy looked so fragile. And even though he had annoyed her in the past and she thought his girlfriend was a bitch, it hurt her to see him like this. He had called himself part of Derek's pack but hadn't acted like it. Yet, that didn't seem to matter now that he was dying. He had called out for the alpha – his alpha, with his dying breath. That had to count for something.

They reached the vet in record time.

"Run in ahead," Derek commanded.

"Hey! Hey!" Paige shouted as she burst through the door. Suddenly, she realized she had never bothered to learn his name. "Vet, dude! Hey! Scott's hurt bad! Please help!"

Instantly, the vet appeared in the doorway. "Where is he?" he asked. But then Derek, cradling Scott in his arms, kicked opened the door and without any guidance, brought the boy directly into the back room with the metal table.

"Wolfsbane," Derek explained, gently placing the beta on the table. "I think he inhaled it."

Paige nodded. "I saw the vaporizer."

Without any words, the vet rummaged through some drawers. Paige blocked out whatever it was he was doing and instead leaned against the wall. Her focus was mainly on Derek. The poor man was already sitting and pale and she wondered if maybe he was also suffering from some wolfsbane-laced bullets. That wouldn't do much good for anyone involved. He was also frowning at the poor boy's body. Did he feel guilty for this happening? It wasn't anything he could have predicted and he knew that, right?

It took a bit of effort, but she pushed herself off the wall and staggered to the drawer she had seen Scott get some gauze from once. With her bounty in hand, she approached Derek on slow but steady feet.

"You're bleeding," she said.

"So are you," he replied, but didn't take his eyes off the boy.

Gingerly, Paige knelt down next to him. She grasped his wrist gently and pulled his sleeve up to expose the first bullet hole – the bullet still in there. It wasn't until she dug her claws into the tender flesh around the bullet to pull it out that Derek even bothered to look at her. She could feel his frown, but she still placed the gauze over the open wound and then grabbed his other hand. Covering her palm over his hand, she guided it until he was the one pressing the gauze down.

"Anywhere else?" she asked, still crouched before him.

"No," he answered. There was no change in his heartbeat. Good. At least that was one worry off her chest.

Using the arm of the chair, she pushed herself to her feet.

"Will he be all right?" Derek finally asked.

"I don't know," the vet answered, absolutely distracted by this dying patient.

Scott gave a gasping sound at whatever it was the vet was doing to him – Paige winced but Derek let out a stuttering breath and his body clenched up. This was his worst fear come true, she realized – losing a pack member. And it didn't matter that he couldn't have stopped it even if he wanted to – all the years of guilt because of his family's destruction had given him a lifetime supply of blame to put on himself whenever he so chose. And this was the boy he had claimed as a brother, he had told her.

If Scott died, he would never forgive himself.

She didn't know how much time passed. All she knew was that she was swaying on her feet but she couldn't give in just yet. She needed to see this boy survive – for Scott's sake and for Derek's sake.

Finally, the vet leaned back and sighed. "He's stable," he announced.

Relief flooded over Paige.

Derek nodded slowly, his head drooping a bit. "Thank you," he said.

The vet left the room, and Paige didn't even bother to ask where he was going or when he'd be back.

Reaching out for something to hold onto, her fingers found Derek's hair. Lacing them into his locks, she held on. Suddenly, Derek grabbed her hips and pulled her forward to bury his head into her exposed stomach. Paige removed her hands from his hair and instead wrapped them directly around his head. When he shuttered a bit, she just held on tighter.

When the door opened again, Paige slowly detangled herself from the alpha, knowing he wouldn't want to be seen like that. "I'm going to get some water," she said. Brushing her hair from her face with her good shoulder, she left the room.

"There's some bottles under the front desk," the vet told her.

One belly full of water and she wasn't even close to feeling better. When she recycled the bottle, bending over to toss it into the bin, her world spun. "Ah," she groaned a bit and suddenly the horse blinders were on – pulling closer and closer to the center of her vision before everything went black.

The last thing she thought of was the fact that Derek would be pissed that she hadn't taken care of her wounds earlier.

* * *

Brief snips of voices reached her ears as she faded in and out.

"…I remember her being very polite."

"You've met her before?"

"… Scott … shot and I found him… me to the ground but I brought them both here. Actually, I didn't know what to make of her… morning a werewolf – I think it was the alpha came looking for her and Scott… said she needed him."

"She left with him?"

"…thanked me for my hospitality and… with him. I thought she was with him, so… surprised…she showed up with you yesterday."

And then everything crashed down around her again.

When the world started refocusing, she realized she was right. There was the broody, angry werewolf glaring down at her.

"I thought you had taken care of those," he accused. "Were you _trying_ to die?" Despite the edge to his words, his tone was just weary.

"I was more concerned about you and Scott," she explained. Her head hurt, but the dull ache that had been pulsing from her shoulder and leg the entire night was finally just a minor tickle.

Derek didn't say anything and Paige took the time to glance around. She was on the front counter in the waiting room. "I know this place," she whispered. "We waited here for an hour the night I was bitten." Her fingers skimmed the cool counter a bit before she finally looked over at her alpha again. "What's wrong?" she asked.

But he didn't respond to the question. Instead he said, "I didn't realize you had been working with Peter – I assumed that when you showed up that night it was because you'd heard my howl."

"I had," Paige frowned. She tried to push herself up but her arms weren't strong enough. Gently, Derek guided her back into a reclining position. "I…" Paige shrugged a bit. "The morning after you had been captured, I came back here to see if Scott was still okay. Peter showed up and demanded the vet hand us over. I went with him."

"But you had refused Peter's offer to be part of his pack before that – why would you suddenly change your mind?"

"I figured that the alpha was the best chance at finding you and rescuing you," Paige sighed. "He was already going after the Argents and I couldn't stand the idea of you being tortured."

Derek didn't say anything for a long while but his hand came up to stroke the hair from her face. When all the hair was off her face, he still continued to softly stroke her head. "You're an idiot," he finally muttered. "You barely knew me and you had just interrupted me trying to kill a sixteen year old boy because my uncle _told_ me to. You shouldn't have done that for just a crush."

"To be perfectly honest," Paige whispered. "I think it stopped being just a crush after I'd been bitten and found you in my room the next day."

A humorless laugh left his mouth. "I forget how young you are sometimes."

She felt the offense echo around in her head. Her face flushed and she snapped, "Old enough to regularly fuck." When had she gotten that crude? The flinch he gave was enough to make her regret her words though. And his hand had stopped its stroking. "Sorry," she murmured, reaching a shaking hand out to touch his shoulder. He allowed the touch. "Derek, I didn't love you then but I cared about you. I don't remember when it started exactly, but I knew that I was going to do anything I could to get you away from the Argents. You were my first friend here. And you intrigued me and I enjoyed figuring you out. Also, you saved us – despite the fact that you were going to kill Jackson, you still put Scott and I before your own safety. You knew you were going to be captured, and you did it anyway."

His hand began to brush her hair again. Paige felt the stress leave her body and she decided she'd eventually have to sleep.

"Then?" Derek asked after a few minutes.

"Hm?" Paige yawned.

"You said that you didn't love me then." Paige's eyes flew open and she knew what his next question was going to be. "Do you love me now?"

She was not prepared for this. This was not on her list of things she was at all prepared for and briefly she felt the breath leave her body.

What the hell was she supposed to say? She had figured out a long time ago that she loved this man – that she would follow this man to the ends of the earth, as much as that scared her. But it wasn't as simple as just telling him that. Long ago he had told her that he would ruin her and she had always thought that by telling him that she loved him she would be one step closer to convincing him that he had made the wrong decision to let her close. It would frighten him. It would mentally send him back to the days when he loved Kate and Kate killed his family and he was sufficiently freak out in the way only Derek Hale can freak out – with quiet scowls and clenched fists. And she would lose him.

But… she had never been able to lie to him – not even a white lie.

"Yes," she whispered.

Whatever it was that she had been expecting, she truly hadn't expected him to just nod and remain silent. Part of her was worried that he was going to get lost in his own head and decide to cut her loose – especially since he was frowning down at the corner of the counter, avoiding her eyes.

"Don't go to Chicago," he finally said softly.

"For school?" she asked, not exactly believing what exactly she was hearing at this moment. "You don't want me to go to school in Chicago?"

"Stay here," he ordered, his eyes wide as though he couldn't believe what he was saying himself.

Immediately, the fatigue in her bones didn't matter – she shot up to wrap her arms around his neck and yank him down to her level. Pressing her lips to his, she couldn't stop smiling. After the night she had had – they all had had – this was the perfect way to end it. It wasn't an "I love you, too," but she hadn't been expecting one. Derek didn't say things. Derek _did_ things. And telling her to stay in California was enough. Being here, moving her mouth in sync with his and knowing that it wasn't going to end any time soon was more than enough.

"Is that an order from my alpha?" she joked, coming up for air.

He gently nipped at her bottom lip. "Don't tease me," he growled.

"I have a confession," she admitted. One last kiss later and she murmured her declaration against his lips. "I started applying to colleges in California yesterday."

His hands came up to cup her face and she was so absolutely _home_ and nothing mattered. In the back of her mind she knew she'd have to sleep tonight, only to wake up with more than enough work to do – check up on Boyd and Erica and Isaac and probably do some homework and deal with hunters and the kanima and face the whole world. But right here, in this moment, everything was perfect for her.

"Can I say it?" she asked.

"Say what?" Derek's eyebrows furrowed.

"Say _it_. I didn't _actually_ say it and I was wondering if I could do it properly – if you would allow it."

The alpha pulled away a bit and for a moment she thought she had overstepped her boundaries. But then he allowed, "Say it slowly."

"Why?" she asked, her nose scrunching up in confusion.

"I just…" He looked off and Paige realized why. It was so obvious.

"You want to listen to my heartbeat when I say it," she accused, not unkindly. "So that you know if I'm lying."

He flinched and shrugged, but still didn't meet her eyes.

So, she laughed. She gave a brief little chuckle that forced him to look her in the face because who the hell honestly admits that they want to use a werewolf lie detector on their girlfriend to tell if she truly loves him?

Dragging him back down to her level, she gave him a lingering kiss. "Derek," she sighed, grabbing his hand and bringing it up to press softly against her heart. A smile lit up her face. "I… love… you…" The last part, she whispered. She had never said that to anyone before. It felt good. It felt like she was meant to say that to this man. When he didn't seem to have a problem with her speed, she repeated, "I love you – and your scowl and furrowed brows. I love you – and your trust issues and terrifying temper. I love you – and your snappy sassy sarcasm. I love you, I love you, I love you."

* * *

**Preview:**

**Biting her lip, she followed her alpha into the train car. "Are you intending to tie me up?" she asked.**

**He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Yes," he admitted. "This is only your third full moon."**

**"And next time it'll be only my fourth full moon, and then my fifth full moon, my sixth, seventh, eighth," she rolled her hand a bit to emphasize her point. "My first full moon, you didn't tie me up."**

* * *

_Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life_

_oh lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life_


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Mumford and Sons.**

**A/N: This is late. I was busy. Don't ever go to college – if you aren't drunk, than you're doing homework. This has been a homework week. I also have had to do some creative writing for classes and so… fanfiction has been on the back-burned.**

**As always, thank you everyone for your support! I super appreciate it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Seal my heart and break my pride_

_I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide_

_Align my heart, my body, my mind_

_To face what I've done and do my time_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Dragging him back down to her level, she gave him a lingering kiss. "Derek," she sighed, grabbing his hand and bringing it up to press softly against her heart. A smile lit up her face. "I… love… you…" The last part, she whispered. She had never said that to anyone before. It felt good. It felt like she was meant to say that to this man. When he didn't seem to have a problem with her speed, she repeated, "I love you – and your scowl and furrowed brows. I love you – and your trust issues and terrifying temper. I love you – and your snappy sassy sarcasm. I love you, I love you, I love you."**

* * *

Paige spent the rest of the night relaxing on the countertop – or at least, reclining. There wasn't really a reasonably way to relax on the unyielding countertop but at least her head had stopped spinning. Always looking on the bright side – that was Paige. Derek split his time between checking on Scott and then checking on Paige, then returning to Scott. It seemed exhausting – Paige was yawning just looking at him pace between the two rooms.

"You need to sleep," Derek finally said as he finished up his tenth rotation of babysitting the betas.

"I'll sleep when we get home," she promised. He sighed, but didn't protest. Instead, he leaned himself against the wall and closed his eyes. Maybe he wanted her to sleep because he also really wanted to nap as well. Gingerly, Paige pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Go home," he announced out of nowhere, cracking his eyes to catch her expression.

"What?"

"Go back to the station and check up on the pack," Derek clarified. "I'll stay here with Scott."

For a moment Paige wanted to argue – she would rather not let the alpha out of her sight, or the beta for that matter. She had never had anything against Scott and right now he was definitely on her "be nice to forever" list because he was part of the pack and had been actually helping their cause for once. But instead of flat-out arguing, she asked, "Is that safe?"

"I'd rather have you here," Derek admitted, shrugging. "But it's nearly three in the morning. The hunters will have gone home – the streets should be safe. And Boyd was also poisoned by wolfsbane – I need to know that he used the first aid kit and is healing. Same with Erica and Isaac. This is what's best for the pack. Go."

Paige nodded, accepting the explanation. They had decided that their decisions would be more focused on the pack and they wouldn't let their relationship affect that. Time to put that into practice.

With weak legs, she slid to the edge of the counter and hopped down. Everything about her body felt heavy and she wondered if sometime during the night the Earth's gravity had been cranked up when she wasn't looking. Derek pushed himself off the wall to aid her, but she just waved him off. A few seconds later, she was back in working order. ""Wolfsbane is something to avoid", you once said," she muttered. "I agree wholeheartedly."

Derek allowed her a brief grin before he jerked his head to the front door. "Go," he ordered without much force.

But before she left, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

* * *

"I am _wiped_," Isaac groaned from his place on the floor of the hideout as Paige descended the stairs. He was spread out on the floor, one hand situated behind his head as a pillow. Boyd was sitting on one of the barrels, and from this distance, Paige could see the stark white of bandages wrapped along his waist. Erica was nowhere to be seen.

"Is Scott okay?" Boyd asked, catching sight of the elder beta. "Erica said that Derek said he was dying."

"Yeah," Paige sighed a bit and ran her fingers through her hair. "Allison's bitch of a mother kidnapped him and poisoned him with wolfsbane. We got to him in time though – he's at the vet's. Speaking of poisoning – how are you?" She came to kneel next to the barrel he was sitting on, gently pushing his shirt up a bit to take a peek at his injuries.

"Derek's kit did the trick," he explained. "I can feel everything healing."

She smiled in relief. "Good, good." Clasping his shoulder in a show of support, she glanced around. "Where's our favorite blonde?"

"Her mom called," Isaac explained from his spot on the floor. "She had to scurry home."

Nodding her understanding, Paige stood up. "When you guys feel up to it, you should get home – right now it's safer than being out and about."

The two betas agreed and after only an hour, she walked both of them home. She was probably being overly cautious, but they had nearly lost a pack mate tonight – it was never too late to be too careful. As she made her way back to the subway station, she caught a glance of red hoodie. For a brief moment she remembered that Stiles had a habit of wearing that kind of outerwear but the wind picked up suddenly and a bit of scent reached her nose.

"Scott!" Paige waved. The boy was apparently just leaving the hideout.

"Hey," he responded tiredly.

After giving him a brief smile, she said, "You could definitely use some sleep. Go home and heal up." Sleepily, he nodded and made to continue to walk home. But something occurred to Paige and she reached out to touch his shoulder. "Thank you," she said, sincerely. "I really like that for the first time we're all working together toward something. I'm glad you're a part of the pack. I'm really glad to have you on our side."

Scott just looked at her for a moment, before nodding again. She released him, wished him a good night and then took off down into the hideout.

Derek's even breathing reached her ears the moment her feet hit solid ground. It didn't surprise her that he was already out cold. Gingerly, she made her way into the train car and placed careful steps as she approached the renovated car. As per usual, Derek only took up half the mattress, curled on the right side as he waited for Paige to eventually fill up the left side. Sliding her exhausted body under the covers, she turned over and molded her back against Derek's chest. She didn't mean to wake him up, but she really didn't feel like she had any room to complain as his arm wrapped itself around her waist to pull her closer.

"… I think I made a mistake," Derek spoke softly into her ear.

Her body tensed. What had he done? "What happened?" she asked, lacing her fingers into the hand that was curled against her abdomen.

"I bit her," he barely breathed.

When had he had a chance to bite someone? Was it tonight? Was it sometime this week? What was going on?

Before she even had a chance to ask all the questions running through her head – Derek clarified, "I just saw Scott on the floor and I thought he was dead and I thought that the best kind of revenge against the hunters would be to change one of them."

"Allison's mother," Paige realized. "You bit Allison's mother." All the implications of that came crashing down on her mind. Immediately, she tried to turn over so that she could see his face – look her alpha, her lover, the man she loved, in the eyes. But his grip tightened around her and she was forced to continue to face away from him. Maybe he wasn't ready to face her scrutiny. "Okay," she said softly. "Okay. We can deal with that," she decided. "The hunters were already after us – all this will do is make them angrier. And that's fine because we've been getting stronger. Okay. We will deal with this," she repeated. But her words sounded hollow. Derek's grip tightened on her.

"Sleep," Derek whispered into her hair. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Okay," she sighed, finally falling into sleep, still clutching his hand.

* * *

They didn't get a chance to talk in the morning.

Paige had neglected her alarm and it wasn't until her phone angrily buzzed from Wyatt's call demanding to know why she wasn't at home, that she finally woke up. Frantically and without even bothering to say goodbye, she sprinted back to her car and sped to her house.

She parked down the street. Hopping through her window, she came to a stop in the middle of her room and came face to face with her brother.

"Sorry!" she announced. "What did they say?"

"I covered for you," Wyatt explained, wheeling a bit closer to her. "Said you spent the night with Erica, but then they called Erica's house. She wasn't home either." He gave a little shrug.

"Shit," Paige sighed and took a seat on the edge of her bed. "She probably got in trouble too, then. Shit, shit, shit."

"You were at the rave," Wyatt pieced together, glancing down at her slutty wardrobe. "Someone died there – was that…?"

"Not us," she explained, placing her head in her hands. "That was… something we're trying to stop. Where are mom and dad?"

"Mom is downstairs, dad is where he usually is," Wyatt said.

"Work," she sighed a bit. "Okay. I'm… I'm going to go back out the window and come in the front door. And then… face the music. Maybe if I come completely clean, she won't punish me quite so hard."

"_Completely_ clean?"

"No, oh God no," Paige could have laughed with how ridiculous that notion was ("So, mom – I'm a werewolf! Surprise!"), but the situation was too tense to even result in a chuckle. "No, I mean just coming clean about the rave. That's what normal kids do – right? Go out late at night and get drunk at raves? Maybe I can angle it that way – I'm just living a normal teenager life and up until now they've just been blessed."

Wyatt nodded slowly. "Maybe…" But even he didn't seem too confident.

Taking the deep breath she so desperately needed, Paige stood. "Time to face the music."

* * *

"You suck," Erica whined a bit into the phone.

"I'm sorry!" Paige apologized for the fifth time since the phone call had begun. "I didn't know my brother would use you as an excuse – and he didn't know you would be with me. As it is, I'm grounded this entire spring break – and because it's spring break, my mom will be around all the time."

"Your brother's lucky he's so hot," Erica finally allowed. Paige tried to ignore that comment. "I'll keep you up to date about pack stuff – my mom didn't ground me from leaving the house, but I need Isaac or Derek to come pick me up. Apparently she finally feels like being a parent! I'll totally make sure you know when the shit hits the fan."

"I'll have to sneak out for the full moon at the very least…"

"That's in like a week – right?"

"Erica! You're a werewolf! You should know these things!"

There was a brief sigh from the other end. "I know, I know," Erica purred. "I promise I'll catch up on my studies, mommy."

"Agh," Paige clicked her phone off, deciding the conversation was officially over. The second the betas started using phrases like "mommy" or "daddy" or "the pack parents", Paige usually slipped a bit back into her old self and blushed. She kept meaning to ask Derek if there actually _was_ a special place for the lover of the alpha – because at this point she wasn't entirely certain she wanted it. Especially if she was being called "mommy" by teenagers who were her brother's age.

The doorbell ringing downstairs forced her to leave her room. Her mom had gone to volunteer somewhere or another and Wyatt was up in his room – and she wasn't about to make him use his wheelchair lift to go downstairs just to answer the door.

"Paige!" Stiles face appeared in the window beside the door before she even had a chance to open it.

"Stiles…?" She yanked the door opened, but didn't ask him to come inside. Her parent's had forbidden visitors. "What's wrong?" Oh, God. Was it the pack?

"My dad got fired yesterday," he explained. "Can you maybe talk to your dad and see if…" He trailed off much Paige knew what he was implying.

"You want me to see if _my_ dad can help _your_ dad get his job back?"

The boy hesitated, as though he was just now realizing that he and Paige didn't have the best track record as allies. But truly – why should Paige help this boy who had left her alpha to die, twice? Glancing him up and down, she thought about it a bit more deeply. Yeah, she didn't feel like she owed him anything. But his father was a good man – her own father had been in such awe of the sheriff and his impeccable history that he had invited him to the dinner party they had hosted a few months back. The sheriff had had to work that night, however. And Stiles was Scott's friend. Scott was pack now.

"I'll talk to my father," she decided. "He has always appreciated your father's dedication." She ignored the way his face lit up – and then bit her tongue before she could tell him it wasn't for him. "I've got to go, I'm grounded."

* * *

"What is that?" Isaac asked, tracing the design under his fingertips.

Paige had snuck out of her house two hours before so that she'd be able to be totally ready for the full moon. The energy had been racing through her veins the entire day and she knew if she stayed in her house for an hour more, she'd probably chuck her bed through a wall. Erica was leaning against the train car. Boyd was situated with in the doorway of the very same car and Isaac was standing near the alpha.

Glancing at the design Isaac had questioned, Paige remembered when she couldn't help but wonder something similar. Usually, when Derek was naked his back wasn't in her direct line of sight – but she was very familiar with the tattoo on his back.

"It's a triskele," Boyd spoke up. Everyone looked at the beta, seemly surprised that he knew his shit. "The spirals mean different things," he explained, a bit rushed as though he realized he had put himself on the spot. "Past, present, future. Mother, father, child."

"Know what it means to me?" Derek asked.

The boy only hesitated a brief moment. "Alpha, beta, omega," he replied.

"That's right," the alpha said, a little in awe about the intelligence of this beta. Paige knew that Boyd was rocking a solid 4.0 GPA, but apparently Derek only scoured police reports – not report cards. "It's a spiral. It reminds us that we can rise to one or fall to another." He stood up. "Betas can become alphas. But alphas can also fall to betas, or even omegas."

"Like Scott?" Isaac cut in.

"Scott's with us," Derek reminded him.

"Really?" Isaac glanced around a bit. "So where is he now?"

"He's looking for Jackson," Derek shot back. "Don't worry, he's not going to have it easy tonight either." He bent over to pull the chains Paige was a little too familiar with, from the trunk. "None of us will. There's a price you pay for this type of power. You get the ability to heal. But tonight you'll want to kill anything you can find."

"Good thing I had my period last week then."

Paige nearly choked on her own spit – she couldn't believe that that had just come out of Erica's mouth – but then, she kind of could. Even the other wolves glanced amongst themselves, shocked. An awkward giggle slipped from her mouth as she just kind of shook her head. Of course Erica would say something like that.

"Well, this one's for you," Derek announced, holding up probably the scariest looking contraption in the world.

"If I'm spending my night trapped in that thing, I'm going to need a good, hardy dinner," she announced. "Boyd? Isaac? Who's with me?"

For a moment Paige felt a little miffed that she had neglected the other female – until she caught the wink Isaac threw her as they all departed. Oh. She could practically hear them saying, "Alone time for mommy and daddy". Great. That wasn't awkward. Except… Paige glanced over as Derek began dragging the chains into the unrenovated train car. She had been very good about following the punishment her parents had laid out for her – and therefore hadn't spent the night at the hideout since the night of the rave. Derek had only come to visit her at her house once, and even then they had to be super quiet. It just wasn't the same.

Biting her lip, she followed her alpha into the train car. "Are you intending to tie me up?" she asked.

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Yes," he admitted. "This is only your third full moon."

"And next time it'll be only my fourth full moon, and then my fifth full moon, my sixth, seventh, eighth," she rolled her hand a bit to emphasize her point. "My first full moon, you didn't tie me up."

"I know," he sighed a bit and dropped the chains. "But it was just you and me. I could watch you the entire time, and you weren't strong enough to overpower me. There are three other betas besides you that I have to worry about now. I don't know if I'll be able to control all of you," he admitted.

"Scott can't help?"

"I'll call him if I need him," he said.

"What if I _can_ control myself? Last full moon, yeah I got a little crazy – but that was mostly because I didn't want to be tied up. What if you don't tie me up so I can focus and if I can stay in control, then I can help?" But Paige was still biting her lip because she wasn't certain he was going to go for it.

He seemed to think about it for a moment. There was a brief hesitation and then finally, he nodded. "But the second I think you're losing control, I'm going to chain you with the rest of them."

"Thanks," she exhaled a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I appreciate it."

Quickly, Derek crossed the train car and wrapped his arms around her. "The pack has been missing you a lot…. I've missed you," he admitted.

"I've missed you, too," she mumbled into his chest. "And the pack," she added. "Who knew that I could survive for eighteen years without sex but not a week?"

She could feel Derek roll his eyes a bit and she muffled her giggle into his shirt. Yup. She missed her alpha. Spring break couldn't be over fast enough.

By the time the other betas returned, the sun was out of sight and it was time to get to work.

"What if we break free?" Boyd asked, suddenly worried. Derek was chaining him down, soundly.

"You'll do whatever you can to get out of here," Derek explained. "Probably try to kill me, then kill each other, then anything with a heartbeat." Well, he didn't mince words. Paige flinched a bit. "I need to you hold her," he told Isaac.

The beta wrapped his arms around Erica and she looked up at her alpha through her eyelashes, searching for a reason to trust this man. Paige tried to smile at her from over Derek's shoulder. "It'll be okay," she told her.

"So how come she gets to wear the headband?" Isaac asked.

"Because she'll be able to withstand more pain than the two of you," was Derek's response. "Got an extra one if you really want it."

"I'll pass."

The alpha turned his attention to Erica. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

And then the device was on her head and the screaming began. Paige felt her entire body contract as she tried to force the sound out of her mind. It was physically hurting her to listen to her friend in pain. Clenching her fists, Paige left the train car the second Derek stepped away from the girl, satisfied that the restraint was firmly in place.

She needed to focus, she realized. The moon was worming its way into her brain and she needed to be able to just center herself. Leaning against the pillar Derek had once chained her to, she took a deep breath and relaxed.

After a few minutes, Derek came stalking out of the car. "They are going to break free," he told her. Whipping out his phone, he left Scott a message and then turned back to her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," she replied. And it was true. She could hear his heartbeat, and that was all she needed.

"Good," he turned back to the car and grew out his claws. "This is going to be difficult."

And then off he went, back into the train car, Paige trailing behind him. She hadn't brought her own claws out for fear of not being able to control herself, but it was good that he had some back up – at least until Scott showed up.

Even from this distance, Paige could hear the growling inside. Oh goodness, this was going to be difficult. Derek bypassed Isaac, even though the beta had already shifted and lunged for him. Paige also easily sidestepped him as they approached Boyd and Erica. Boyd's chains were already straining against their hinges and he snapped angrily at the alpha. Paige made the mistake of glancing back at Isaac – while she was looking away, Erica had ripped her headpiece off and came stalking toward Derek. She swung at him, but Derek was able to duck down.

Paige acted on instinct – she grabbed the other girl's hair and yanked back. The victory was only momentary as Boyd broke free and clamped his claws onto Paige's shoulder, twisting her up and out the window of the train car. She landed with a groan.

Jesus.

Fighting humans was so much easier than fighting werewolves.

Barely back on her feet, Paige had just enough time to steady herself before Isaac came bursting out of the other window. Paige crouched down, ready for a battle but the scent of blood reached her nose – Derek's blood.

And suddenly whatever was going on in the train car was far more important than the fact that Isaac was out of his chains. What was is it that Derek had said? They would try to kill him? Were they killing him?

The she-wolf grew her pelt on instinct and jumped right back through the window.

Boyd had Derek down on the floor, slashing again and again and again. Her own claws glinted in the moonlight as she reached out and gave the beta a slash straight down his back. He let out a howl and turned on her. This time her claws dug in from his cheekbone to his hip. Then another slash from his stomach, up. Paige was lost in the fury.

They were pack – they were pack and they were hurting, killing their alpha.

That wasn't okay.

Paige didn't know how many times her claws bit into flesh, but suddenly someone had their hands on her shoulders, pulling her up and away and then pressing her against the wall of the train car. Yellow eyes sneered at her, and Paige recognized the face through the haze of rage. Isaac. Her pseudo-boyfriend had her pressed up against the wall, keeping her from her prey.

She roared in his face, but he roared right back.

"Paige," someone said. She knew that voice.

Turning from Isaac, she faced her alpha. His eyes were red, and gently he pulled her from Isaac's steady grip. She didn't fight him. How could she fight this man?

"Sit down," he guided her to one of the seats in the train car and she instantly knew what was happening. She had lost control. And now he was tying her up. She was more okay with that then she thought she would be. He efficiently chained her and then knelt next to her. "Sorry," he said.

But she just shook her head. "I lost control," she admitted. "I'm sorry."

Derek pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and then turned back to Isaac, gesturing him to sit down next to Paige. "Think you'll be okay now," he told the beta as he chained him again. Paige turned her body a bit and realized that while she had been fighting Isaac, Derek had been securing the other two betas. "It looks like you found your anchor."

"My father," Isaac simply said.

"Your father locked you in a freezer in your basement to punish you," Derek reminded him.

There was only a slight pause before Isaac responded with a hushed, "He didn't use to."

And that was that. Derek checked everyone's locks one last time, took a deep breath and then exited the train car. Paige shifted a bit, realizing she was probably going to be here for a bit and she might as well get more comfortable. She was still shifted, she knew, but she didn't have the energy to will the transformation away.

Paige had barely leaned back to relax when a _thunk_ from outside caught her attention. Sharpening her senses, she threw her focus to just outside the train car… There was a scent – she knew that scent. It was Lydia Martin. Why was Lydia Martin here?

Suddenly, the scents started shifting… moving. Paige was only able to stand a bit before she got caught on the chains around her wrists, but just lifting her body a bit was enough to catch sight of Lydia dragging Derek up the stairs.

What…?

A howl echoed from Paige's mouth, a warning to the girl to put her alpha down this instant. Why wasn't Derek moving? Oh God – there was something purple on his face, some kind of powder. Was that wolfsbane?

What was that girl doing to him?

The she-wolf screamed.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"So you trust me to babysit the betas, but you don't trust me to watch your back…?" Paige put her hands on her hips and walked right passed him. "Good to know where I fall on your nonexistent trust-spectrum." She didn't mean to sound so bitchy – but it was getting to her… his comment. "I don't trust anyone," he had said. And she had been standing right next to him. If there was anyone in this world he could trust, it was Paige. And yet there he was, bundling her in with everyone and even though a more logical part of her brain was processing the idea that that kind of response was just a habit… she knew the truth. She had been fooling herself. He didn't trust her. He didn't trust anyone. He could fuck her. He could let her tell him that she loved him. But he couldn't trust her.**

* * *

_Well you are my accuser, now look in my face_

_Your oppression reeks of your greed and disgrace_

_So one man has and another has not_

_How can you love what it is you have got_

_When you took it all from the weak hands of the poor?_

_Liars and thieves you know not what is in store_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Evanescence.**

**A/N: This is a thing! It's here! Yay!**

**In case you don't know these things: Jeff Davis revealed some spoilers for season 3. I'm not going to mention any of them here, so as not to spoil it for you – but if you want to know them, just search online. There is one spoiler that extended my timeline a bit and so you'll get one more normal chapter than you normally would have. So, yay for that!**

**As always, thank you all so much for your continued support.**

**Bring on the angst!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Drink up sweet decadence_

_I can't say no to you_

_And I've completely lost myself and I don't mind_

_I can't say no to you_

* * *

**Previously:**

**A howl echoed from Paige's mouth, a warning to the girl to put her alpha down this instant. Why wasn't Derek moving? Oh God – there was something purple on his face, some kind of powder. Was that wolfsbane?**

**What was that girl doing to him?**

**The she-wolf screamed.**

* * *

Paige's voice echoed up and down the train car, startling the other wolves. Instantly, their chains were rattling like all hell and Isaac was trying to ask her what was wrong – his voice more growl than speech. But Paige wasn't in control anymore – her alpha was in trouble and she was chained to a train car and_ this wasn't right_. The she-wolf needed to escape. Needed to escape and save Derek.

Blood made her hands slick – it was the only reason she even knew she was bleeding. Oh, God, why had he tied her up so soundly? Why had Lydia knocked him out? _How_ had she knocked him out? Thank God Paige was still able to hear his heartbeat. If she hadn't, she probably would have assumed that he was dead and then been lost forever in the pelt of the she-wolf.

"What's wrong?!" Isaac finally managed to break through her red film of fury.

"Derek!" was all she managed to get out and even then it was more of a frantic snarl than actual words.

Biting her bottom lip so hard she tasted blood sputtering from the open wound, she finally tried to settle herself. What could she do? How could she break herself out of these chains? There had to be a way – this way wasn't working, though.

She felt faint. All the blood was leaving her head and her breathing was irregular.

God, she was so weak. She had thought that this phase of her life was over – that the helplessness she had felt _every_ time she walked down the hall and felt so utterly alone and so utterly without cause had dissipated when Peter's teeth had sunk into her back. She had been so shy – so quiet, so weak. Her world had been too rough for her fragile little body and then she had grown a pelt and fangs and she had become powerful. Why wasn't she powerful now? Why were there chains around her strong, strong body? And why couldn't she break those chains? God! What was wrong with this?

She was drowning in her own pity-party.

Throwing her head back and banging it into the seat behind her, she knew she had probably busted open her head in frustration. But as her mind pulsed with soreness, a thought snaked itself into her brain. Paige couldn't break the chains. But could the she-wolf? Removing her teeth from the tender flesh of her lips, she let a deep breath out.

The moon was overhead.

The full moon.

The moon was full and she was a werewolf – time to start acting like it.

A howl ripped out of her throat as the shift came over her body like a tidal wave. She envisioned her fangs, her claws, her yellow eyes. Then she envisioned running through the woods, wild and free, like a wolf should be. And finally, she envisioned her alpha – her beautiful alpha with his black fur and startling red eyes and bulky muscles that made him look more monster than wolf, but beautiful all the same.

And that was enough. Her mind went blank and then the next thing she knew, she was outside. Her howl hadn't stopped though – it oscillated on and on up into the heavens and back again.

God, this was _power_. This song hummed in her veins and laced every cell in her body with radiance. The she-wolf was unstoppable, had _always_ been unstoppable. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was the only thing she could even begin to think about – the only thing that she was sure about.

_The she-wolf was so strong._

She didn't know how she had gotten out of her chains, and she didn't know how she had left the station. She didn't know anything except that a human - the vet - was standing in front of her. He stood without fear, even though she was a sight to be seen – radiant and powerful under the glow of the full moon. But, he took a fearless step forward and the she-wolf cocked her head. Her prey was coming to her? How interesting. How… lacking in challenge. That was no fun.

Her snarl didn't even faze him.

Instead, he whipped out a small little purple flower and held it out to her.

Cocking her head even more deeply, she took a step back. Something was wrong with that flower… that flower wasn't _right_. It was all different shades of wrong and she didn't want to be near it. She took a step back as her heart clenched.

"Paige…" someone was saying.

But all she did was take a step back, crouching down and away.

"Paige, please," someone repeated. Vaguely, she realized that it was the vet. The vet who was holding the oh-so-wrong flower was talking to her. Oh. She didn't know why he was talking to her. She didn't want to talk to him – not until he put that flower away. "Paige, it's me – Dr. Deaton. Please focus – I know you're in there."

Dr. Deaton? Was that his name? That was so funny – she had spent so much damn time in that vet's office and she had never actually bothered to learn his name. In fact, the concept was so ridiculous that a noise that was half a whimper, half a giggle wound up springing from her mouth.

"Paige?" he tried one last time.

The shift shook her entire body as it snapped away in one fell swoop and she fell to the ground – her knees overwhelming weak. "Yeah," she replied, her voice raspy.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Vaguely, she noted that he had tucked the _wrongwrongwrong_ flower somewhere secret.

"Yes," she said, clenching her fists a little bit to test the feel. "Maybe… yeah. Yeah, I'm good. That was…"

"Reckless," the vet snapped back. "You lost control."

Offense weaved its way around her heart and she pushed herself to her feet. "I had to," she protested. "I…" she trailed off as she glanced back at the small building that contained the staircase into the station. "Derek locked us up but someone kidnapped him. I don't know how, I don't know why – but he was unconscious and I need to save him." For some strange reason, tears sprung to her eyes. Why the fuck was she about to cry? Crying would do nothing right now. Was this the moon? "I don't know where she took him…" she finally managed to explain.

"I do," Deaton replied, his face set steadily. "Come on, we'll help him together."

She didn't even question the fact that he knew where her alpha was – or who had taken him. It was just something she had come to expect from the vet.

One step forward, and she remembered that she had a pack to look after. What had Derek said – they looked up to her? They were probably worried – she realized. Paige had just begun screaming for their alpha and then suddenly she was bursting out of the train car, out of the station. They were probably so confused, too. Backtracking a bit, she opened the door and shouted down to them, "I'm fine. I'll be right back. Don't worry."

And then she followed the vet.

"How do you know where he is?" she asked. "I mean – I can sniff him out, but you've always been very up front about the fact that you're a vet. And I'd know if you were a werewolf too."

Deaton glanced over his shoulder as they made their way to his car. "I'll explain soon – I promise."

And she believed him.

"The Hale house?" she asked as they pulled up in front of it.

"Yes," was all Deaton said.

Briefly, the scent she was most familiar with met her nose and she struggled against her seatbelt. Derek was in that house – the vet was right. Had she ever doubted him? No, but now that she was certain that Derek was within her grasp, she couldn't help but want to get to him immediately.

Part of her knew that she should be worried about how dependent she was on him – but wasn't the nature of the wolf to be relatively co-dependent?

She nearly cut through the seatbelt with her claws, before realizing that that would be rude. Instead, she just slid right up and out of the seat without even unbuckling the belt. Ignoring Deaton's warning not to just burst right in because she didn't know what was in there, she took off. Before she knew it, she was across the yard and in the door.

Derek was on the floor, just lying there, bleeding.

Her heart stopped for nearly a second and then his heartbeat got it back on track – her pulse syncing up with his. Good, he had a heartbeat. He was alive. And upon further inspection, she realized he was also breathing pretty steadily.

That stupid purple powder was still on his face – hiding in the crevices of his jaw and around his nose. Dropping to her knees, she gently brushed the specks completely off of him, hoping that would be helpful.

"Don't…" Deaton tried to warn as he stumbled in the door, a few steps behind her. When he saw her kneeling beside the alpha, her hands still pressing lightly against his peaceful face, he just sighed. "I was going to say, "Don't touch that," but apparently I'm a little late."

"What is it?" she asked, pulling her hands away reluctantly.

"Powdered wolfsbane," he explained, coming to crouch next to her. "It would have knocked him out instantly," he speculated. Swiftly, he grabbed her hands and swiped at them with a handkerchief.

"Thanks," she said, trying to appear sheepish. But really – it wasn't like she was going to lick her wolfsbane-covered hands any time soon.

The second he released her newly cleaned paws, she had them back on Derek. Gingerly, she traced his shoulders, down his arms to grab his hands. Okay, he was alive – but was he all right? Her worried eyes rose up to meet Deaton's. He gave her a reassuring nod and began to speak.

"Derek?" he said. "Derek…? Can you answer me Derek? Derek!" But there was nothing. No sign that this man was alive. Frantically, she glanced between Deaton and her lover – hoping one or the other would do something to improve the situation. With a sigh, Deaton pulled a small whistle from his pocket. "Cover your ears," he advised. Reluctantly taking her hands off Derek, she pressed them over her ears – and thank God she did. The second her ears were covered, Deaton gave that whistle a long blow and even with the sound muffled, her werewolf hearing ached.

But it had the desired effect. His eyes sprung open and suddenly his calm breathing began to pulse with life – almost until he was panting. His gaze shifted around the room, frantically and Paige tried to give him the room to breathe and take it all in – but a big part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and bury his head in her shoulder and never let him go. Either way, he calmed himself down and pushed his body into a sitting position.

"That sound… What was it?" he asked with a deep, hoarse voice. Paige knew that voice. His voice was always like that when they woke up together. He would press sweet kisses along her neck and shoulders until she woke up – because he was always awake before her and sometimes she caught him watching her sleep. And then when she finally opened her eyes, he would take her bottom lip between his teeth and gently pull. "Good morning," he would say. And Lord, what a good morning it was – the best kind of morning was always when she got to wake up to the sight of his face – the scruff a bit out of control after having the entire night to grow and his eyes plagued a bit by morning crusties.

Her thoughts were broken as Deaton waved the dog whistle in Derek's face with a little smirk. Derek took a moment to register what it was and then shot the man a sarcastic eye roll.

And then he tried to stand up. Paige understood male pride, even if she didn't always understand males and so she let him stand up on his own – up until he was finally on his feet and swayed backwards deeply. She reached out at the same time that Deaton reached over and together they steadied the man. Deaton pulled away but Paige wrapped her arm around his waist and hoped he wouldn't be offended.

"You're going to be weak for several hours," Deaton explained.

His breathing was still labored. Gingerly, he lifted his arm a bit and studied the deep cuts decorating his forearm. Had those been there when he had been chaining her up? She tried to remember. Had Lydia done that?

"That actually happened," Derek said softly, as though he was coming to a conclusion.

For the first time, Paige glanced down at the floor. A bunch of wood was piled around and some of the floorboards had been removed… creating a large hole in the middle of the room. ….What had been down there? Did she want to know?

"Don't worry – you're still an alpha," Deaton said. What? Why wouldn't he be an alpha? "But as usual, not a particularly competent one…" Paige felt her hackles rising for Derek's sake, even though the man looked like he didn't even give a fuck – like the vet was the last person he cared about right now.

"Where is he?" he asked instead of defending himself.

"I wish I could tell you," Deaton shot back.

Paige opened her mouth to ask, "Who?" but Derek pulled away from her to get up in the vet's face. "Then how about you tell me what you're doing here," Derek suggested. "And why you're helping me."

"Helping your family actually used to be an important part of my life," Deaton responded calmly. "Helping you was a promise I made to your mother."

That got Derek to back off. He took half a step back and looked at Deaton like it was the first time he was seeing the man. "You're the one my sister talked about," he said. "She said you were… a kind of… advisor." It was more a question than a statement.

"She was right," Deaton nodded. "And I have some advice that you need to listen to very closely, right now. What Peter managed to do, doesn't come without a price."

Paige glanced down at the hole again and realization hit her in the heart like a fist. Peter. It was Peter – it was the man in her nightmares. He had been buried here. She tried to remember that night – the night he had been set aflame and Derek had slit his throat in vengeance for a family member lost. His heart had stopped – she hadn't been able to hear it and so she had assumed he was dead. He _had_ been dead. Derek had even talked about it later. But… Peter. She tried to remember if she had ever seen Derek bury him… No, she had left. She had just taken off because she was so tired and her back had been clawed to ribbons. Derek had caught up with her later. Had he stayed behind to bury his uncle? Had he buried him here? Looking down at the hole… she knew he had. And Lydia – that explained the girl and her disappearance and general craziness. Peter had bit her – they had a connection. Oh Lord.

As the world came crashing down around her, she only vaguely heard Deaton explain that Peter would be weak and would try to worm his way back into Derek's good graces.

"Do _not_ trust him," the vet warned.

"I don't trust anyone," the alpha shot back.

Her head snapped up to catch a glimpse of his face, wanting to see his expression. He… didn't trust her?

"I know," Deaton replied. "If you did, you might be the alpha you like to think you are. And unfortunately the one person you should trust, doesn't trust you at all."

"Scott," Derek breathed.

"He's with Stilinski right now," the vet explained. "You need to find him. You need to find him as fast as you can. I've known Gerard for a long time. He always has a plan and something tell me it's going exactly the way he wants it to." His gaze lingered on the empty hole for a bit. Then he glanced up. "I can give you two a ride," he offered.

"Back to the station," was all Derek said. He tried to take a step forward, but his knee gave out a bit and he dropped to the floor with a bang. Paige didn't even hesitate. Forcing strength into her arms, she reached down and grabbed his bicep. Two heaves later and his arm was around her shoulder and his weight was pressing against her side and he was steady. She helped him out the car and tried to forget that no matter how much he relied on her, he didn't actually trust her.

That hurt. A lot.

The car ride was silent until they reached the station. But Deaton ignored Derek in favor of Paige. "Be safe," he told her. "And keep an eye on him." When he gestured to the staggering alpha, Paige followed his gaze. Yes, that man needed some help. Lots of help, actually. And she would try her best.

"Thank you," she said. And then the vet was gone.

"Let's get you cleaned up and then we can go find Scott and Stiles," she suggested, steading the man again.

"No," Derek shook his head. "I'm going alone." And that was final.

"What?" Paige stopped walking and therefore forced Derek to pause. "Why?"

"I need someone to watch the betas," he told her, frowning. Oh, right… wasn't she trying that knew thing where she didn't always question his authority? But didn't that require trust? And wasn't trust a two-way street? Hm. Food for thought. "The moon is still full and the hunters might use this as an excuse."

Paige had forgotten the moon was still plump and dangerous and that she had left the betas tied up when she's hopped in the car with Deaton. Oh.

"They're exhausted," Paige argued. "They aren't going to break out. You would not believe the effort I needed to summon to escape – and that's because you were being dragged up a flight of stairs, unconscious and I was flipping a shit. They'll be fine," she concluded. "And you might need my help with Scott and Stiles – whatever's going on can't be good."

"I can handle it," he said gruffly and pulled himself out of Paige grasp so that he could continue without her.

"So you trust me to babysit the betas, but you don't trust me to watch your back…?" Paige put her hands on her hips and walked right passed him. "Good to know where I fall on your nonexistent trust-spectrum." She didn't mean to sound so bitchy – but it was getting to her… his comment. "I don't trust anyone," he had said. And she had been standing right next to him. If there was anyone in this world he could trust, it was Paige. And yet there he was, bundling her in with everyone and even though a more logical part of her brain was processing the idea that that kind of response was just a habit… she knew the truth. She had been fooling herself. He didn't trust her. He didn't trust anyone. He could fuck her. He could let her tell him that she loved him. But he couldn't trust her.

And that was the truth.

Derek followed her on feet that were relatively steady… up until the stairs. When the first step left him grasping the rail with white knuckles, Paige sighed and grabbed his hands. Mentally, she pushed aside her angry thoughts and focused on steadying the man as they made their way down the staircase.

When they entered the train car, Isaac immediately asked, "What happened?" His face was still shifted, but his bindings were in place.

"Paige will explain," Derek brushed off the question and made his way into the renovated car alone.

"The old alpha… rose from the dead," Paige tried to keep her face from showing her own disbelief. Isaac just frowned up at her so she elaborated. "The old alpha – the one who bit me, is now alive and Derek is going to try to find Scott and Stiles."

"Are you going with?" Isaac asked.

"No," Derek answered for her, returning with a fresh shirt. "She's going to stay here." And that was the end of that. The alpha pushed his way out of the train car. Paige watched his retreating back for only a moment before she took off after him – jogging to catch up. He seemed to realize she was following because he said over his shoulder, "That is final."

But she didn't say anything and she didn't stop. She just reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist – pressing her face into the fabric of his shirt. His back muscles rippled as he tried to look over his shoulder at her. Paige let him go after a few moments, taking a step back. "Be careful," she said. "Please."

Derek turned to face her, searching her eyes for something Paige didn't think she knew how to express. Gently, his fingertips skimmed over her cheek and she wanted him to kiss her because him leaving now just felt wrong – but mostly she wanted him to trust her. And now it was no longer a matter of being angry about not being trusted by this man. She was just sad. She was just sad that he no longer seemed to have the capability to trust and she was just sad that she had fallen in love with a man who would not – could not, trust her.

Once, he had said that he didn't want her first relationship to be with someone who couldn't love her back. She hadn't understood then what that meant.

Sometimes she thought he loved her. Like, at this moment. His soft blue eyes reflected her face back at her and his callused fingertips brushed against the apple of her cheek, skimming words he couldn't say onto her skin in a pattern only they were familiar with. At this moment, she thought he loved her as much as she loved him.

And then his hand fell away and he walked away and she knew… he didn't love her.

He couldn't love her. Because he didn't trust her. Because he didn't trust anyone. And it wasn't that he couldn't trust her – he could, if he wanted to. This was Derek Hale – the werewolf who had been to hell and back… he could do anything. Paige firmly believed that. If he wanted to trust someone, he would. But he didn't want to trust anyone. Once upon a time he had been a boy and had trusted without any hesitation and that trust got his family killed. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice, she realized now.

She should leave.

The smart choice would be to leave. To go and not look back and try to find another pack because she loved this man. She loved him and he couldn't love her.

"Every single one of those relationships failed because eventually they wanted something that I couldn't give them," he had told her once.

She should go. Before she could no longer leave – before this got to the point where she _couldn't_ leave.

_Go,_ she told herself.

And she went. She went right back into the train car and sat down next to Isaac and when he asked her what was wrong, she just put her head on his shoulder and cried a little bit. And he didn't say a single thing after that because he understood that kind of pain – that pain of wanting something from someone even when you know you can't have it, even when you know that they aren't capable of giving it.

Slowly the tears stopped.

"Why didn't you leave?" she asked her pack mate.

"I couldn't," he shrugged under his bindings. They gave a little jingle.

"Why not?"

"I had nowhere else to go…" Isaac confessed softly. "And I knew… neither did he."

* * *

**Preview:**

**"So what – you're going to leave?"**

**The blonde hesitated. For a moment a floodgate of sadness and guilt washed through her eyes as she considered Paige's words. Then she seemed to stuff in all down and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know yet," she said.**

* * *

_And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall_

_Pour real life down on me_

_'Cause I can't hold on to anything_

_This good enough_

_Am I good enough_

_For you to love me too?_


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Evanescence.**

**A/N: This is early. I know. I'm sorry. I know how much you guys hate me posting things early… You'll also get a chapter tomorrow because… well…**

**I finished the story. Finally. I finished the very last chapter yesterday and therefore figured that I would post a chapter to celebrate! It's 35 chapters in total and has one bonus chapter as of yet.**

**Now, I have some questions for you:**

**First, would you like that bonus chapter as a one-shot or added as a chapter in this story?**

**Second, a muse hit me over the head the other day and I have begun plotting another story. It would be another DerekOC story but would involve a woman closer to Derek's age who works in the school. I kinda want to follow the cliché "werewolves don't pick their mates, they find them" in which Derek sees her and knows she's his mate but refuses to acknowledge her. It would take place mostly during the second season and draw a bit from "Teen Wolf: The Hunt" in that she finds out about the werewolves by working in the office and has to deal with Gerard and whatnot. Would you guys be interested in reading something like that?**

**Tell me what you think and please, as always – enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Please, please, forgive me_

_But I won't be home again_

_Maybe someday you'll look up_

_And barely conscious, you'll say to no one_

_"Isn't something missing?"_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"Why didn't you leave?" she asked her pack mate.**

**"I couldn't," he shrugged under his bindings. They gave a little jingle.**

**"Why not?"**

**"I had nowhere else to go…" Isaac confessed softly. "And I knew… neither did he."**

* * *

Four hours passed before Paige seriously began to worry. Not that she wasn't always in a state of worry. Would there ever be a day when she didn't worry that Derek was dead in a ditch somewhere? Jesus, it seemed like every time she turned around, that wolf left her sight and nearly ended up dead – usually when he was trying to protect her or the pack. But right now, it was different. Paige remembered how serious the vet had looked when he told Derek to find Scott and Stiles… Something was wrong and she wasn't there to help and that ate at her.

Where was Derek?

Two hours in, she had texted him – with no reply. Three hours in, she had tried calling but didn't leave a message. Now, at four hours in, she tried to call again and this time he picked up.

"What?" was his sharp inquiry.

"Uh," Paige frowned down at the phone. Any relief she felt at hearing his voice alive and well was quickly snuffed out because of his cool reception. Setting her jaw, she returned the speaker back up to her mouth. "I was just… getting worried," she admitted. "Are you okay?"

There was a brief pause and when Derek spoke again, his voice was much gentler. "I'm fine," he told her. "I'm on my way back. How is the pack?"

She glanced back at the train car. It was silent, except for the even breathing indicative of sleeping. They had all drifted off to sleep within the last hour – the moon waning in the sky and the exhaustion finally hitting them. "All good here," Paige reported.

"Good. I'll be back soon." And then the call disconnected.

When he walked in the door ten minutes later, Paige felt like she could finally breathe again.

"What happened?" she wanted to know instantly.

He brought a finger to his lips to shush her and then jerked his head up the stairs. In silence, she followed him back up the staircase and into the open night air. The sun was rising… so, she supposed it wasn't night air anymore. For a moment the two of them just kind of observed the sky but the anticipation was killing Paige. "What happened?" she repeated.

"The kanima was being controlled by some kid named Matt," Derek revealed without tearing his gaze away from the sunrise. "He massacred the police station. Everyone's dead. Jackson paralyzed me but it wore off. Then the hunters arrived." When the alpha didn't elaborate – when all he did was clench his jaw a bit, Paige took a step forward and placed her palm flat against his scruffy cheek. On instinct, he leaned into the touch. For a moment he allowed himself to relax, but then his body tightened and he yanked away. "Scott is working for Gerard," he finally growled.

"What?" No. Not possible. That wasn't possible.

"I heard them talking," Derek said. His eyes shut tightly as though he was visualizing a memory. "He joined the pack on Gerard's orders. Scott told him who was controlling the kanima before he told me."

"I just… wow," Paige trailed off as her head burst with this new information. "I just… can't believe that," she concluded.

"Well, believe it," Derek damn near snarled as he summoned his claws – only to sink them into his palms. It was like a switch had been flicked inside him – cool, controlled Derek was now enraged. "Because it happened, Paige!" His breaths were coming out in pants as he worked himself up into a rage. "Because that's what always happens! People can't be trusted – they have their own agendas and when you least expect it, they show their true colors – and betray you in the process. You can't trust anyone… No one."

She didn't say anything as his blue eyes pierced her deepest insecurities and then _twisted_. Finally, his breathing calmed down a bit but his nails were still imbedded in his palms.

Okay. Alright. The tears were swimming on the surface of her eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall. Crying would do nothing and she needed to be the rock. Once he had said, "The other pack members look up to me for the strength and guidance. They look to you for comfort and counsel." Tonight it seemed everyone was in need of comfort. Paige had sought Isaac's shoulder to cry on. It was time for her to be the steady one – the calm one. Because that was what Derek needed right now. Her own worries – the fact that he was so adamant about not trusting people, including her – needed to be pushed to the side right now. Isaac was right. He had nowhere else to go and so they remained the same.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to take this a step at a time.

Her hands shot out and gently grasped his left hand first. Slowly and with tenderness, she cupped the bleeding appendage and guided his nails from his skin. He allowed her – didn't help, but didn't fight her touch either. When she reached for the other hand, he just frowned at her but pulled his claws from his flesh without her interference.

The wounds weren't healing as quickly as they normally would have and she realized now just how long of a night he must have had. How he was still standing, she had no clue. On instinct, she brought his bloody palms up to her mouth and gently kissed each wound.

"Sometimes, people's only agenda is taking care of the people they love," Paige murmured against his palms. "We'll deal with Gerard – and Scott – tomorrow. Right now, you've had an extremely long night and you need some sleep." Her grip slid down to his wrists and she tenderly drew him back down the stairs and into the train car. The betas were still fast asleep and Paige would be very happy to join them in their sleeping bliss soon.

Into the renovated train car they went.

With steady hands, Paige pulled his shirt off and then slid his jeans down. Derek just watched her – half confused, half exhausted. This was not sexual. Not even a little bit. This was a pack member taking care of another pack member. She left his boxer-briefs on and gently guided him down onto the mattress. When his head hit the pillow, he sighed. Paige allowed herself a small smile at his reaction before squeezing out of her skinny jeans and snapping her bra off. Then she joined him in bed, curling her body around his, protectively. Instantly, his breathing began to even out and she knew he was drifting to sleep.

"I love you," she whispered.

And that was enough.

That was enough for her right now. He didn't love her. He didn't trust her. But she loved him. She trusted him. And maybe he would never come to love her and maybe his trust issues would persist until his death. But right here, right now, all that mattered to her was that this was a man who she cared about and he only had so many people he could rely on – especially since he just lost one of those people tonight. And if he needed her, she would be there. She would stand by his side and no one could stop her.

* * *

After only a few hours of sleep, Paige was awoken rather rudely.

"Hey!" The voice penetrated her dreaming. "Hey! Someone gonna unchain us?"

It was Isaac, the little shit.

Groaning, Paige pushed her eyes opened. She was nestled up against Derek's chest and both of his arms were around her – keeping her close. Truth be told, she could happily die here – but her pack was calling. Reluctantly, she wormed her way from his grasp – only to find him frowning up at her, his eyes opened.

"Go back to sleep," she soothed, kissing him soundly on the cheek. "I'll take care of them. You still need some more rest."

"Tell them not to go home – they can't leave here," Derek murmured, still half-asleep. "It's not safe."

"Okay," Paige frowned, but knew he had something in the works. "I'll tell them. Anything else?"

He shook his head groggily, and his face fell slack again. Back into the dream world he went.

When the betas continued to rattle their chains in annoyance, Paige stalked out of the car. "Can you people hold on for five seconds?" she complained. But she knew if it wasn't morning, or if she was a morning person, she would be a lot nicer about getting them released from their bondage. Quickly and efficiently, she got the chains snapped off. "Happy, you terrible ruffians?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Very happy, Hot Stuff," Isaac shot back and jerked his eyebrows up and down.

"What…" Paige twisted a finger up to gesture at his eyebrows. "Is _that_ about?"

"You have that written on your crotch," Erica informed her as she walked passed, yawning.

Paige's jaw dropped as she glanced down… she wasn't wearing pants. Oh Lord.

"Think I can swing by my place and snatch a few hours of sleep in an actual bed?" Boyd was asking, breaking Paige from her minor freak out over being pantless.

"Uh," Paige blinked to collect her thoughts. "No – Derek says it isn't safe enough to leave. Stay here." Glancing back down at her bare legs, she added, "I'm gonna grab some pants…"

Three hours later, their alpha emerged from the train car and found his betas sitting in a circle playing cards. Paige noticed him first, the way she always noticed him first, and she stood. The other betas followed only a few moments behind.

"What happened last night?" Isaac was the first to speak. "Why can't we go home?"

"Is it that unsafe?" Erica added her own inquiry.

Paige didn't know how much Derek wanted to reveal and so she told the group that she didn't know much and it would be better if they were all briefed by their alpha. Only Erica had protested, and even then, it was only with a quirked eyebrow and a little pout.

Derek still looked exhausted – she had never seen rings that deep under his eyes and he had just thrown on the clothing he'd been wearing that night. Slowly, he glanced between each of his charges and then set his jaw as though he was coming to a conclusion that he hadn't fully reached yet.

"Last night… there was a run in with the kanima at the police station. A lot of people died," Derek explained. There was a collective increase in heart rate amongst the betas. "The hunters arrived and attacked. They're out for blood. The… the night of the rave, when Victoria Argent attacked Scott – I bit her. Hunters who are turned typically kill themselves rather than let the change happen. That was what she did – she died last night and the hunters are out for vengeance. They won't stop at me – they'll come after all of us. We can't go out in public anymore – we have to go into hiding."

"What?" Erica spoke up. "Are we giving up – is that what this is?"

"No," Derek snapped, gritting his teeth. "We are laying low because things are too tense right now. We need to regroup. That's all."

"What about school?" Boyd inquired.

"Too risky. Your principal wants you dead. The last place you should go is back there. As it is, I'm only going to allow you a half an hour to go back to your houses and collect necessities. Make excuses for your parents – or don't. Your choice. But right now, nowhere is safe," he concluded. One by one, he looked to each of his betas and watched them take in the information. Paige met his eyes steadily. A part of her knew that one day it would come to this and she was ready. She had always had an excuse saved up in the back of her head.

The group dispersed.

Paige arrived home to a nearly empty house – only Wyatt was there. Quickly she stuffed a bag full of clothes and toiletries and stopped by Wyatt's room. He would understand what she was doing and why she was doing it.

"I have to go into hiding," she said.

The kid glanced up from his videogames and not a moment later the screen read "game over" as he was shot by some other player. "What?" he sputtered.

"Some really bad things happened last night and the pack is going into hiding," she explained. "I'll leave a note for mom and dad explaining my absence, but… I just thought you'd appreciate the truth." Oh God, this was harder than she had thought this was going to be. Already there was a film of tears forming on her eyeballs – threatening to spill if they continued to talk.

"Does this have anything to do with the attack on the police station?"

"Yes…" she admitted. "But that's all I can tell you. I'll see you around."

"Hey! Wait!"

She ignored him. And without another word, she hopped down the stairs and left the pre-written note for her parents on the kitchen counter along with her cellphone. The last thing she needed was to be traced with the implanted GPS – and the only people who texted her would be in her constant presence.

_I couldn't handle life here. I'm going back to Chicago. I know you'll want to come after me – don't. I want to be back home._

They'd believe it. The only one who wouldn't have believed that bullshit was Wyatt. And he wouldn't breathe a word about it now – knowing the truth.

The sound of Wyatt's stair lift reached her ears and she knew she had to leave. He'd try to stop her – try to pump her for more information and right now she couldn't afford to give him information that the hunters could torture out of him. She was out the door before the lift even reached the bottom of the staircase.

Unsurprising, she was the first person back, even considering that she had stopped at the local park down her block to catch her breath and collect herself. She hated leaving her brother like that.

"You didn't tell them about Scott," she only kind of accused as she entered the station. "Or Peter," she added, remembering that that had also happened last night. Jesus, that was right – that had happened last night.

"They don't need to know about Scott right now – mostly because I'm not sure what I'm going to do about him yet. And Peter isn't a main concern right now." Derek crossed his arms and with that his explanation was complete – no room for argument. Then he changed the subject. "What did you tell your parents?"

She just shrugged a little bit. "As per usual, they weren't home. I left them a note saying I had a mental breakdown and was running away to Chicago. Wyatt was there though and I told him the truth." At Derek's raised eyebrow, she backtracked. "Not the whole truth – just that I needed to go into hiding. So that he could cover for me. That's it. Don't worry." Taking a better look at him, she walked closer and asked, "How are you?"

He snorted and turned away, "I've been better."

"We all have," she agreed.

"We can't stay here," Derek decided.

"Where else can we go?"

"I have a few places in mind… This is only temporary," he assured her. And really, she needed assurance right now.

"I know," she nodded. But a big part of her wondered how he defined temporary.

* * *

Paige yanked her hood down the second she was in the door of the warehouse. God, this sneaking around thing was epically difficult – but the bagels from that one deli down the street were so worth it.

"Breakfast!" she announced, holding the two bags up.

"It's noon," Boyd observed.

"Brunch!" Paige tried again and this time chucked one bag at the beta. "Dig in, kiddos. We have a long day of training ahead, once Derek gets back." The same day that they had gone underground, Derek had snuck out and then returned a few hours later with five untraceable cellphones. That was their main communication currently.

"I don't think I can take anymore training," Isaac complained.

"Pussy," Erica teased from her own little corner.

"I am not a pussy," he responded, snatching the other bag from Paige's hands before she even had a chance to claim her own bagel. It was fine. She was having less and less of an appetite.

"Pussy cat," Erica purred. "Itty bitty wittle pussy cat."

Isaac chucked the bag clear across the room at the she-wolf, but Erica caught it with ease and gave a breathy chuckle. Paige just frowned. Even though the two of them used to joke like this before… right now, they weren't truly kidding around. There was definitely an edge to their words. They had been underground too long. Paige's favorite Disney movie growing up had been The Hunchback of Notre Dame and her favorite character had always been Esmeralda. Briefly she recalled the gypsy's discussion with the hunchback when she told him that gypsies weren't meant to be stuck behind walls. It seemed wolves were not meant to be caged. As a result, the tension was rising and everyone was getting testy.

She brought it up with Derek later.

"We've been underground for the past three days," she brought up, coming to kneel beside her alpha. Derek was sitting on their shared makeshift bed (which was essentially a pile of blankets) and reading. "I think everyone's starting to get a bit testy."

"They'll get over it," Derek responded without even glancing up from his book.

Paige tried to force a smile as she asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"They'll _have_ to get over it," he said simply. "They're pack. If they can't tolerate each other now, then they'll just end up killing each other when the hunters find us. Eventually they'll figure it out."

"Okay," she nodded. That apparently was the only thing they could do. Gently, so as not to disturb him, she pressed a soft kiss to his right temple and left to go salvage some food from the local diner.

* * *

The third time they changed residence, they ended up in the warehouse Derek had taken her for her first full moon. Paige allowed herself a small smile, even though she was getting as restless as the remainder of the pack. Derek was off somewhere, probably stalking Scott or one of the Argents.

Paige was engrossed in a book Derek lent her about werewolves, when suddenly hushed voices reached her ears.

"I didn't sign up for this."

"Derek told us about the hunters."

"But he made it seem like… like, we'd be invincible. But we aren't. If those hunters get us, we're dead. And I hate all this hiding…"

"I know, but… Erica, he's doing his best."

"Well, his best isn't good enough!"

"Do you think so, too, Boyd?"

"I… I guess. I do think he's trying his best – but I want us all to make it out alive and it doesn't look like that's going to happen."

"Isaac, get real – we aren't going to survive this by hiding in Beacon Hills."

"I'm all for taking the offensive, believe me – but we should listen to Derek. Right now he wants us to lay low."

"You're forgetting – the last time there were Argents in Beacon Hills, Derek split. He's still alive for a _reason_."

Paige had had enough. Shutting her book loudly, she stood and stalked around the corner to face the younger betas. Isaac was sitting on a crate. Boyd was leaning against the warehouse wall and Erica was right by his side, sitting with one leg outstretched. Over the past few days, they had been inseparable. Paige would have stopped to find it cute, if they weren't currently agreeing that they should leave Beacon Hills.

"That was different," Paige argued the moment they turned to see who was approaching their little mutinous circle. "When Derek and his sister left, they had just had their entire pack wiped out. Laura was an alpha at eighteen and Derek was only sixteen. It would be like if one of you and I were the only one's left in this pack – then yes, running would be the best option because it would keep us both alive. But we have a full pack – we have an _actual_ pack."

"And the hunters have guns – _actual_ guns," Erica shot back.

"So what – you're going to leave?"

The blonde hesitated. For a moment a floodgate of sadness and guilt washed through her eyes as she considered Paige's words. Then she seemed to stuff in all down and gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know yet," she said.

"You don't get it," Paige scoffed. "If you leave, you weaken the pack."

Suddenly, Erica sprung to her feet. "You said once that the bigger the pack, the more people put in danger, but the more likely we'll all survive. Right? You said that. But right now, it doesn't seem like _any_ of us are going to survive this."

"We don't know that!" Paige was surprised that her voice rose in volume and she knew her eyes were flashing violently. "_You don't get it!_ If you leave – just you – you weaken everyone who stays behind. Sure, you have Boyd pretty convinced that following you straight out of Beacon Hills will be for the best and maybe, maybe you could convince Isaac – but Derek will be a challenge. And I go where Derek goes. So you'd probably be leaving us behind to fend for ourselves. And should, by some miracle, you convince Derek to leave… do you honestly think that Scott will go anywhere without Stiles? Without his mom? Essentially, you'd be killing Scott."

It wasn't until halfway through her tirade that Paige noticed that Erica had averted her eyes. And in the dim glow of the florescent lights, Paige saw that tears had collected in Erica's eyes.

"_You_ don't get it," Erica whispered. "I don't want to _die_."

Instantly, Paige softened. "Erica, I know."

"And I don't want you to die, either," she added.

"I'd prefer not to die as well," she tried to joke.

"Then come with me – come with us," Erica offered. "If you come with, Derek will have no other choice. We can all live peacefully – no hunters, no nothing. Just the pack. We can graduate high school and grow old. Isn't that something you want?"

It was. Paige bit her lip and glanced at Boyd and Isaac. They were waiting for her reply – feeding off her reaction because they needed guidance. Finally Paige nodded. "I want everyone to be happy. But I also want Gerard to no longer be a threat – to any werewolf, anywhere. I think if we just stick this out… then we can get rid of Gerard and be safe. We just have to trust Derek."

"What if I've stopped trusting Derek's judgment?"

"What?"

"What if I think we're better off without him as our alpha?"

That stopped Paige in her tracks. And then she said the first thing she could think of. "If you think you're better off without an alpha – without Derek as your alpha, you're fucked. We're all fucked because newsflash: there is no one else."

And then she stomped away.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"If you want to leave, then I won't stop you," Derek said. "I can't leave. I can't keep running – that's all I've ever done. It's time to make a stand and defend my territory – the territory of my family. I will not leave. They'd have to kill me first. If you want to leave, if you want to follow the other betas then you should do it sooner rather than later – our time in hiding is coming to a close soon. If you want to leave, then go." Derek pointed towards the exit "Go." His finger jutted a bit.**

**"No," Paige clenched her jaw.**

**"You said you wanted to leave. I'm giving you the opportunity. Go. Go, and don't look back. See how long you survive without me."**

* * *

_You won't cry for my absence, I know_

_You forgot me long ago_

_Am I that unimportant?_

_Am I so insignificant?_

_Isn't something missing?_

_Isn't someone missing me?_


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Evanescence.**

**A/N: Well. I accidently started the other fic. Oops. I don't know how soon I'll post it just because part of me is convinced it will take place primarily in the third season. It might be something I keep on the backburner and then post as the third season starts. Of course, then there's this story to think about – I would very much like to make a sequel to this story. I feel like Paige and Derek will have all kinds of fun with the alpha pack.**

**As per always, thank you all so much! Please enjoy! Also, the preview in this chapter was chosen to be the preview for this chapter the moment I wrote it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_You think that I can't see right through your eyes_

_Scared to death, you face reality_

_No one seems to hear your hidden cries_

_You're left to face yourself alone_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"What if I've stopped trusting Derek's judgment?"**

**"What?"**

**"What if I think we're better off without him as our alpha?"**

**That stopped Paige in her tracks. And then she said the first thing she could think of. "If you think you're better off without an alpha – without Derek as your alpha, you're fucked. We're all fucked because newsflash: there is no one else."**

**And then she stomped away.**

* * *

Paige frowned as she checked on the betas a few hours later. It was nearly one in the morning and everyone was fast asleep, Erica and Boyd situated pretty close together. It began to occur to Paige that she might need to keep a closer eye on the pair – no need to have a little pack baby so soon.

Assured that everyone was fast asleep, she made her way to the other side of the warehouse.

Derek helped her undress and then pulled her into their nest of blankets. His lips were barely sliding against hers when she just couldn't hold the news in. "The pack was discussing leaving," she blurted out.

For a moment, he just looked at her with a confused expression. "What?"

"Erica and maybe Boyd think it would be better to leave Beacon Hills," she explained. "I don't know about Isaac right now – he's definitely on the fence."

He pulled almost completely away and Paige's skin felt cold without her lover's body beside her. "I was expecting this," he murmured to himself. "But this is not a good time for dissent. Worst possible time, actually." His shoulder's tightened and Paige instantly reached up to massage the knots out of his back. But… he pulled away. She tried not to be hurt and instead folded her hands into her lap. "What do you think?"

Her head shot up – confused that he would be asking her advice. She was happy that he was finally willing to listen, but usually when he asked her what her thoughts were, it was because he wasn't so sure about the topic himself. "I… don't know," she answered honestly, hoping to be helpful. "We'd all be safer –"

"You want to go with them?" he inquired sharply.

"It might be something to consider," she protested, backtracking a bit. She hadn't expected him to become angry – but really, when did he ever do something she expected? "We can't stop them from leaving and if they go – if they _all_ go, it's just us and we'll be sitting ducks. Going with them might be the only choice."

"So, you'd rather we be sitting ducks somewhere else?" Derek asked. "Because that's what will happen – Gerard is out for blood because of Kate. Allison is out for blood because of her mother. They won't stop. They'll just keep following us – it doesn't matter where we go. _Nowhere_ is safe."

"Derek," she tried to speak, reaching up in surrender. "I know that. But maybe it might buy us some time…"

"Some time to do what?"

"Get stronger."

"That doesn't matter."

"It could, it could matter – give us some time to regroup."

"You want to run away? Just leave your family behind for good? Is that how little your family means to you?"

"What does my family have to do with this? Don't bring them into this!"

"You would abandon your mother? Your father? Your brother?"

He looked like she had so thoroughly disappointed him and suddenly she felt like she _had_ so thoroughly disappointed him. She really should have known that family meant everything to this man, who had long ago lost his own.

"If it kept us all alive – then yes. I'd leave."

"If you want to leave, then I won't stop you," Derek said. "_I_ can't leave. I can't keep running – that's all I've ever done. It's time to take a stand and defend my territory – the territory of my family. I will not leave. They'd have to kill me first. If you want to leave, if you want to follow the other betas then you should do it sooner rather than later – our time in hiding is coming to an end soon. If you want to leave, then go." Derek pointed towards the exit "Go." His finger jutted a bit.

"No," Paige clenched her jaw.

"You said you wanted to leave. I'm giving you the opportunity. Go. Go, and don't look back. See how long you survive without me."

And suddenly, everything made sense. "You think I _want_ to leave you – that I'm _going_ to leave?" she asked.

"You said you'd leave," he shrugged a bit.

"I'd leave if you came with me!" Paige pushed him back and he lost balance – but righted himself almost instantly. And the glare he gave her could have killed a small child. "Oh my God!" she groaned, pulling at her hair. This man was so infuriating sometimes! "You idiot! I'm trying to tell you that it might be a good idea to relocate the pack! _I'm_ not going anywhere, you ass-face! Jesus Christ," Paige muttered as all the steam flew out of her. She sagged forward and tried to catch her breath. "I'm not going anywhere – not without you. I go where you go. My God, Derek – I followed after you like a lost puppy while you _kidnapped_ a _veterinarian_ – and that was only the third time I'd ever even laid eyes on you! What makes you think I'm not going to stick around now?"

After a few moments, he admitted, "It would be safer for you somewhere else."

"But _you_ aren't going to leave…?" she asked one last time.

"No," he shook his head.

"Then _I'm_ not going to leave," she decided. She forced a smile on her face and informed him, "You can't get rid of me quite that easily." When Derek didn't say anything at all, just stared at her with a little frown, she added, "And they might not actually leave. They're still trying to decide."

But Derek still didn't say anything and his frown just deepened.

"Could you… say something?" Paige finally asked.

Even then, there was little change in his expression. What was wrong? Was he still angry? Did he honestly _want_ her to leave? That hadn't occurred to her – that maybe part of him wanted her to go. Soon, Paige grew frustrated and scooted closer. Cupping his frowning face with her hands – which were slowly getting clammy with sweat as thoughts whirled around in her head – she tried to let her eyes translate what she was thinking. Derek was a werewolf so nonverbal communication was usually easier than this. But, he was also a man and sometimes things needed to be spelled out.

"I'm staying with you," she told him softly. "No matter what you decide, I will follow you. I can't imagine life without you."

"You're an idiot," Derek shot back. But his expression remained the same. Vaguely Paige remembered him saying the same thing a while ago and she recalled being very offended. Right now, she wasn't even a little bit offended. She just waited patiently for him to continue. "You shouldn't follow me – I'll get you killed."

"You won't let me die," she said with such certainty. Logically, she knew he couldn't control it, but emotionally she knew that he'd do everything in his power to prevent her death. "You'd never let me be killed – not without a fight."

His hands were suddenly on her wrists, yanking her touch from his face. "I might not have a choice in the matter!" he was suddenly shouting. "Don't you get it? I'm not cut out for this! I'm not… I'm not the alpha I should be and the last thing I want is to drag all of you down with me. Especially you, you idiot. You never should have followed me to the vet's that night. You never should have let me stay in your house. If you had just kept your head down and waited until you graduated, you'd be safe. You'd be at home right now."

"I'd be in big empty house," she argued. "Alone. And you'd be alone too."

"I'm used to being alone."

Paige didn't reply because she had no idea what to say. Finally she asked, "Are you regretting this?"

Running a hand through his hair, he thought for a moment and then answered, "I'm realizing that I've fucked things up again."

"It's too late," Paige told him softly. "We can't change things. I… I wouldn't _want_ to change things."

"You can't tell me you aren't scared."

"Oh my God, I'm petrified!" She raised her voice again. "I'm so fucking terrified but it's not necessarily for myself." The tears she'd been holding back – from Wyatt, from Erica – all came rushing out of her in a broken sob. It seemed there were few things she could hold back from Derek. Through her tears, she saw Derek's mouth jump out of the frown and gape open. Apparently even Derek was beside himself when confronted with a crying girl. "All I can think about is losing the pack – about Erica bleeding somewhere, or Boyd broken into two pieces or Isaac dead. And God – thinking about losing you is the worst. I can't sleep, I can't eat – I'm just waiting until the hunters show up with their guns and their wolfsbane and kill one of us – or all of us. I can't help that – but that doesn't mean I _regret any of this_.

"I love my family – I hate to leave them but I know that at some level they left me first. And I was so lonely back then – so upset and then I found you – you with all your stupid angry scowls and broody faces and then came Isaac and Erica and Boyd and we're a _pack_. We're a pack and when I'm with everyone I've never been happier. Maybe my lifespan would be a bit longer if I'd never met any of you. But my life would have been so _empty_ in comparison. I wouldn't have had the chance to know such amazing friends and I never would have experienced falling in love. So yeah, maybe I'd be safer but… The risk has been worth it – worth them," she pointed in the general direction of where the betas were sleeping. "And worth you."

Part of Paige wanted to see Derek's expression – he wasn't very expressive as a general rule, but Paige knew the minor differences between each way his lips quirked and his eyebrows furrowed. But her tears wouldn't stop coming and soon the floodgate was too small and the only way to let them out was to let more sobs occupy it.

She startled a bit as hands reached out and pressed into her shoulders. That contact was all she needed – throwing herself forward, she pressed her face into Derek's chest. With relief, she felt his arms come to encircle her.

"I still think you're an idiot," he murmured into her hair. His voice was much gentler than before.

"You'll probably never stop," she said as lightheartedly as she could manage. The mucus in her nose made it come out a little more nasally than she would have liked. Slowly, the tears stopped and she was able to relax against him.

Gingerly, he shifted her so that she was sitting on his lap and then he cupped his hand around her head. She didn't need to be guided up to his mouth. Sweetly he kissed her, trailing his wet mouth up to each swollen eyelid. When he pressed his lips directly to hers again, she could taste the salt from her tears. His fingers slid down to dance along the edge of her shirt and she moaned. He was already shirtless and Paige decided to even the score. For only a brief moment, she pulled away to yank her shirt off. Derek made quick work of her bra, unsnapping it and nearly tearing it off her back. Once she was freed from it, the alpha trailed his claws down her bare back. They only bit into her skin a bit, not enough to draw blood but certainly enough to make her shiver.

When her core throbbed for more contact, she shifted to straddle Derek – pleased to find that he was already aroused. Groaning, Paige pressed her body onto Derek's and he thrust upwards against hers. Stars danced in front of her face as the pressure hit right where it needed to. She couldn't remember when she had ever gotten this excited, this quickly – and they weren't even completely naked yet.

Pressing her head a bit to the side, he dipped his face down until he was able to nuzzle against her throat. His tongue slicked against her pulse point and then slid lower – down to the junction of her throat and then to her collarbone. When he reached the place on her neck where he knew she was most sensitive, his licking switched to kissing, switched to nibbling.

Paige was nearly whimpering with each press of his lips when suddenly – a sweet but brutal pain broke into her consciousness.

Derek had bit her – and bit her _hard_.

She held on, clenching her knees into his hips and her nails into his shoulders. The groan she gave was damn near animalistic and suddenly the stars in her eyes exploded into darkness. With surprise, she realized she had climaxed. Oh God – he had sunk his teeth into her and instead of being hurt or completely in pain, she had had an instant orgasm.

Weak, she pulled away. Derek was licking at the blood around the wound and that was helping the pain that was suddenly seeping in, but Paige was confused – super confused.

"What… what was that?" she asked, still a little fazed.

"Did it feel good?" Derek grumbled, deeply.

"Oh God, yes," she sighed.

Later, Paige would realize that she had never actually gotten her answer. But that didn't surprise her – the second his hand slid down the front of her skinny jeans, she was gone.

* * *

Two days later, they had moved on to a different hiding spot. Derek told them he was heading back to the Hale house to grab some books that might help them with Jackson. Erica and Boyd went off on their own with orders to return come sunrise. Isaac stayed behind to hold the fort down and Paige offered to escort Derek to his house.

"You really think there will be something in here that could help?" Paige asked, fingering the doorway.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we won't know until we check."

He walked in with confidence, taking the stairs two at a time. The place smelled like old blood and dust – and the hole that had once held Peter was still gaping open. It gave her the creeps. Derek returned with a large chest and for a moment Paige was amazed he was carrying it so easily – it looked heavy – until she remembered that she could probably carry it with ease too. That was the power of the wolf.

Then he dropped it down and opened it with a bang. There was a bunch of books in the trunk and most of them looked older than Jesus himself.

"You know what my favorite thing in school is?" she asked as Derek handed her a book.

"What?"

"Research," she said, smiling a small grin.

"Nerd," Derek scoffed.

Barely twenty minutes had passed before the scent of Erica and Boyd reached Paige's nose.

They had only just entered the house when Derek shut his book with a snap and said, "You decided." It was neither a question nor a statement. "When?"

"What?" Paige glanced between the two betas and the alpha.

Erica shifted her gaze to the side briefly and then admitted, "Tonight."

"Everyone's going to be at the game," Boyd said. "We figured it was the best time."

"It's not like we want to," Erica added as Derek began stepping forward. Paige couldn't believe it. They were leaving – they were honestly leaving and in the process they would be killing all those who stayed behind.

"What _do_ you want?" Derek asked.

"Since I just turned sixteen a month ago, I wouldn't mind getting my license," she replied. It was a borderline snark. But she softened as she said, "I can't do that if I'm dead, you know?"

"I told you there was a price," he reminded them.

"You didn't say it would be like this," Boyd argued.

"Yeah," Derek's voice rose a bit in volume as he lost his temper. "But I told you how to survive!" Paige thought back to all the training they had done, all the bruises she had suffered at the hands of their alpha – who only had their best intentions in mind. And then she thought back to when she had first been changed, when she had fought Peter and gotten her ass kicked. Part of her was convinced she'd be able to put up a much better fight now. "You do it with a pack," Derek continued to explain. "And you aren't a pack without an alpha." End of discussion. He turned back to his books.

But Paige watched the way Boyd's jaw set. "We know," he said.

That made Derek turn around. He searched their faces briefly and then accused, "You want to search for another pack." The two betas avoided his eyes. "How are you even going to find one?" he wanted to know.

They shared a look. "I think we already did," Boyd finally said.

"Like, all of a sudden we heard all this howling," Erica explained. "It was unbelievable."

"There must have been a dozen of them," Boyd put in.

"Maybe more," Erica added.

"Yeah or maybe only two," the alpha scowled. "Do you know what the beau gest effect is? If they modulate their howls with a rapid shift in tone, two wolves can sound like twenty."

Paige assumed that that would be enough to stop them. If they were ditching the pack because they thought they could find another one, then finding out that that other pack wasn't as appealing might convince them to stay. But Erica stood her ground. "Look that doesn't matter, okay? There's another pack out there – there's got to be. We made up our minds."

"We've lost, Derek," Boyd spoke up. "It's over. We're leaving."

"No." Derek set his jaw distinctly and Paige saw the flash of red in his eyes. "No. You're running. And once you start – you don't stop. You'll always be running."

Neither Boyd nor Erica had anything to say to that. The girl just grabbed the boy's hand and guided him out the door. And then they were out of the house.

"Wait!" Paige took off after them but they didn't stop. "Erica – Boyd! Please!" Boyd glanced over his shoulder and then dug his heels in so that Erica had to stop too. "Thank you," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Guys," she began.

"You can't stop us," Erica interrupted her.

"I know that," Paige admitted. It had been yesterday when she realized and accepted that the two were going to leave. They had been in their little corner whispering amongst themselves and even Isaac had been part of the conversation. They were prepared to face the world alone – fine. Paige couldn't change that. "I wanted to say…" She took a deep gulp and continued. "I wanted to say goodbye. And good luck. Please, take care of yourselves."

First she hugged Erica.

"We will," Erica promised her. "Take care of yourself, too. And… take care of Derek, would you? Just… stay alive."

She tried to smile at her friend. "Couldn't kill us if you tried," she joked. But the humor fell flat. Paige turned to Boyd and threw her arms around his waist. "Don't let her boss you around too much – not sure if you've noticed but she's kind of a bitch."

"A huge bitch," Boyd agreed, squeezing her a little bit.

Something occurred to her and she had to ask, "What about Isaac? Is he going with you?"

Boyd shook his head, "We told him about the other pack – but he wasn't really interested. He talked to Scott earlier today, I know. I don't know what exactly they talked about, but Isaac's still on the fence. We told him we'd stay in contact in case he changed his mind."

"Okay…" Paige bit her lip because she was a little worried about the boy.

"We'll see you around, Paige." Erica raised her hand to wave.

And with that they disappeared into the forest together.

The loss she felt in her heart was unmistakable. But, in the distance, she heard Derek's heartbeat and knew she wasn't alone. A pack was still a pack so long as there was an alpha and a beta. But – beyond the sound of his pulsing heart, she heard the distinct sound of breaking wood, followed by a grunt. Her own heart jumped in fear. Hunters? Had they tracked them here? Oh Lord!

Taking off, she was in the house in two seconds flat. It hadn't even occurred to her that this could be a trap.

But it wasn't a trap – it was Peter.

Derek had the man by the collar and was punching the living daylights out of him. He glanced over his shoulder as Paige entered the room and the look in his eyes told her not to interfere. Letting the man fall to the floor, he gave his uncle one last kick for good measure.

"You don't actually," Peter coughed up some blood. "Actually think I want to be the alpha again!" He gave a humorless chuckle as though the idea was ridiculous. It wasn't, though. Once he had killed his niece for that power. What would stop him from killing his nephew? Paige took a step forward. "That wasn't my finest performance, considering it ended in my death. I mean, I'm usually more-" Derek wouldn't let him finish, just grabbed him by the collar again. "Okay! Do it! Hit me! Hit me!" Peter shouted.

That confused Derek so much so that he paused.

Peter took the opportunity to snark, "I can see that it's cathartic for you. You're letting go of all the anger, self-loathing and hatred of being a complete failure." Derek had been in the process of cocking his hand back to punch his uncle again – but once again Peter's words had hit home. "I may be the one taking the beating, Derek," Peter continued. "But you've already been beaten. So go ahead – hit me. If it makes you feel better. After all – I did say I wanted to help."

But Derek just glared and dropped the man. "You can't help me," he said. And then he stepped over his uncle.

"What are you doing here?" Paige spoke up, crossing her arms.

It occurred to her briefly that she was talking with someone who had risen from the dead – and before that he had been the main actor in most of her nightmares, the man who bit her and changed her life forever. If she was a different person, with a different thought process she would realize that she technically owed this man a lot – if he had never jumped out of the video rental store's window, Derek would never have had a reason to talk to her. And if Peter had never bit her, she never would have been able to join the pack. And if Peter hadn't been terrorizing everyone, she never would have had a reason to become strong.

The man turned his head and looked her up and down. "Paige…" he greeted. "You've changed." He jumped to his feet. "You're looking a lot better – healthier." His eyes trailed over her face. "Prettier," he concluded. Then he sniffed in her general direction and his eyes flashed. "No wonder… he's claimed you. That's so sweet."

"Claimed?" Paige inquired, suspiciously.

But Peter just turned on his heel and followed Derek into the other room. Paige trailed after him, still very suspicious. Derek was observing his busted knuckles and Peter came to stand on the other side of the room. Paige situated herself between the two.

"See," Peter spoke up. "Prime example, right here. I'm not healing as fast."

"Good," Paige muttered under her breath but Peter ignored her as he continued, "Coming back from the dead isn't easy, you know. I'm not as strong as I used to be. I need a pack, an alpha." With that, Paige completely crossed the room and came to stand directly beside Derek in an effort to remind Peter that the pack was already established and he wasn't allowed to join the club. "Like you. I need you as much as you need me."

Paige nearly snapped that they did not in fact need him one bit, but Derek just gave a small scoff.

"Why would I want help from a total psycho?" he asked.

"First of all – I'm not a total psycho," Peter began. "By the way, you're the one who slashed my throat wide open. But, we're all works in progress… so… We need each other. Sometimes when you need help you turn to people you would never expect."

"We don't need your help," Paige spoke up. But even as she said it – she knew it wasn't necessarily true. They needed help. But Paige really hoped that that help wouldn't have to come from the royal asshole Peter Hale.

"Sweetheart, I'm a werewolf, too," he reminded Paige in a condescending tone. "I can hear the blip in your heartbeat, darling." He glanced at Derek. "I thought she was smarter than this – I was hoping she was smarter than this. Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with her? Right now, I'm thinking she's not the most ideal mate…"

"Shut up," Derek growled. Paige eyed the two men suspiciously and was about to ask what the hell they were talking about but her phone went off.

Absently, she glanced at the phone. It was Isaac. "Hello," she answered.

"Paige – I need your help," he said instantly.

"What? Why? What's going on?" She glanced anxiously at Derek – she knew he could hear the conversation.

"Gerard is the kanima's new master and he's threatening to kill someone by the end of the game if Scott doesn't give him the pack," he explained. "I'm about to go on the field – but I could really use some back up."

She turned to Derek, asking silent permission. He gave her a nod and she said to Isaac, "I'm on my way."

After she hung up, Derek stood as though he was coming with her. "Gerard's the kanima's new master?" he asked.

"Apparently," Paige answered at the same time that Peter said, "Yes."

"Then you can't go alone," Derek decided. He was nearly out of the room before Paige realized something.

"No, you can't." When Derek shot her a raised eyebrow, she explained, "If you go to the game, you'll be giving Gerard exactly what he wants. It's not safe."

"And you going alone would be better?" Derek's voice cut and Paige liked to think that it was because of Peter's presence.

"Better two betas in danger than the alpha," she admitted. "Especially with…" Her eyes glanced over at Peter and Derek caught her silent warning. If Derek died now, they'd all be left to her mercy of Peter and that was the last thing anyone wanted to deal with again. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "Promise."

Was it smart to leave them alone together? Glancing at Derek and his clenched jaw, she knew that Peter would not be easily forgiven.

* * *

**Preview:**

**The she-wolf turned to Derek, wide-eyed and hurt. "You… did you _marry_ me without _telling me_?" she asked.**

* * *

_Where will you go_

_(Where will you go)_

_With no one left to save you from yourself?_

_You can't escape the truth_


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong on Evanescence.**

**A/N: I was really glad you guys were so enthusiastic about the marking! Here's the next chapter. Hope y'all like it. Once again, I'll be gone for the weekend and therefore will be posting the next chapter on Friday instead of Saturday – which will hopefully make up for being late today!**

**Thank you all so much!**

**Please Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love_

_Then let me never ever wake again_

_And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away_

_We'll be lost before the dawn_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"Better two betas in danger than the alpha," she admitted. "Especially with…" Her eyes glanced over at Peter and Derek caught her silent warning. If Derek died now, they'd all be left to her mercy of Peter and that was the last thing anyone wanted to deal with again. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "Promise."**

**Was it smart to leave them alone together? Glancing at Derek and his clenched jaw, she knew that Peter would not be easily forgiven.**

* * *

When she arrived at the game, Paige couldn't find Isaac. She looked everywhere but he was literally nowhere that her sight could reach. Frowning, she climbed to the very top bleachers and searched. Was this a trap? Had someone got a hold of his spare phone and texted her?

Closing her eyes, she tried to sniff him out – and there he was. She took off at a run to get into the locker room because under the initial scent of Isaac, there was a scent mingling with it – Gerard and two unfamiliar scents.

Pressing herself against the wall outside the locker room, she heard Gerard speaking and then the zing of metal. She would need to fight them off. They were going to kill her pack mate and she needed to save him – needed to help him. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for battle but scuttling footsteps from down the hall caught her attention – Scott was on his way to also help Isaac. Oh thank God.

"Gerard in there?" Scott asked in a hushed whisper.

All Paige had to do was nod. That was all it took – they were werewolves and silent communication was how they worked.

It wasn't until they were both sliding into the room, side by side, that Paige remembered that Scott had betrayed Derek for Gerard. Her alpha had said Scott only joined Derek's pack because Gerard had told him to.

Her footsteps faltered even though Gerard and his lackeys were right in front of them.

Should she trust him now? This could be a trap – this could _all_ be a trap. Once upon a time Peter had sent a text to Allison, claiming to be Scott and that had nearly gotten her killed. What if Scott had managed to somehow get Isaac's phone and sent the text message? What if Gerard was waiting in there with two hunters and Isaac's body was being used as bait to lure Paige and Derek into this trap? Paige glanced at Scott, but the boy wasn't looking at her – he was focused on the man with the sword. And suddenly, Paige realized that she was beginning to sound like Derek. Scott had never been very bright and his judgment was usually clouded by the love he had for Allison, but he always did what he thought was right. And letting an innocent boy be cut in half by Gerard was nowhere on that list.

Instantly, she shifted her gaze away from the beta and let a little growl issue from her throat. The hunters spun to face them – but Paige was already midair by the time they lifted their weapons.

Silently, she claimed the asshole on the right – slashing him straight down the chest. Before he had a chance to recover Paige spun around and her heel connected with his chest. He flew over a bench and banged into the lockers, sliding down to the ground and remaining there. Scott successfully dealt with the other hunter, but Paige wasn't paying attention.

"Isaac!" The name burst from her mouth as she crossed the room to her friend. He was leaning up against the sink, watching her with grateful eyes.

"Where did he go?" Scott suddenly asked from behind them. And it was only then that Paige remembered that Gerard had been part of the group that had cornered Isaac in here. Glancing around she noticed that the man had split. She would worry about that later – for now she was focused on Isaac.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Isaac rolled his shoulder a bit and stood up straighter. "Did Erica and Boyd already leave?"

"Earlier tonight," Paige told him. "They're together though, so maybe they'll make it."

Scott came to stand by the two of them. "I have to get back out there," he said.

"Then go," Paige waved him away. He was gone in an instant and that spared Paige from having to thank him or maybe growl at him or whatever.

"I have to get out there, too," Isaac told her.

"You're going to help Scott?"

For a moment he just stared at her, searching for her reaction, apprehensively. Finally he said, "I made a choice. I promised him I'd help. I think this is for the best. I don't want to run – don't want to hide. I've lived in fear for far too long. It's time to take a stand."

A smile slid across her face. "Good," she said. "Good. You're right. It _is_ time to take a stand. Right now there's, well – we have a guest back at the Hale house. I don't want to leave Derek alone with him. And I'm worried about the hunters – Gerard wouldn't count on Scott to ensure the pack. He probably has back up somewhere. And you can't do this alone. I'm going to go back and check in. Stay safe and keep me updated." She was halfway out the door when she suddenly turned back and said, "I'm glad you stayed. I'm really glad."

And then she was out the door, out of the school, and on her way back to the Hale house – her job on campus done.

There was nothing too suspicious on her way back and she felt the worry lift from her shoulders as the house came into view. She sensed both the presence of Derek and Peter. One made her happy, the other just made her frustrated. Dead things should stay dead. Dead and gone and not back in her life. When no one else showed up on her werewolf radar, she deemed it safe to enter.

Derek was glaring down at his busted hand still, deep in thought. Peter was standing a few feet from him and apparently they were having a moment because Paige felt like she had interrupted something.

"Everything okay?" Derek asked as she came waltzing in the door.

"Gerard nearly sliced Isaac in half but Scott and I stopped him," she explained. "Isaac stayed behind and I came back to check on… _this_," she waved her hand at Peter.

"I am beginning to think I made a mistake in turning you," Peter commented. "If I had known you'd be this bitchy, I'd have kept my fangs to myself."

"Well, sucks to suck," Paige shrugged. Then she turned to Derek. "Gerard will kill someone soon – Isaac and Scott are trying to stop it. Jackson's on the field with them. I don't think Gerard would have relied solely on the kanima and Scott – I feel like the hunters are seriously on the move. It might not be safe here anymore."

He nodded. "Let's get out of here," he said.

"Oh, ho, ho," Peter chortled as Derek stood and began to collect some of the books. "He takes your advice – listens to your counsel. I had a feeling that you two were too young to be mates, but maybe this will all work out – especially if he's learning to actually _listen_ to the advice of someone else."

"Okay," Paige frowned. She had had enough with Peter's confusing comments. "What the heck are you talking about? Mates? What's going on?"

Suddenly, Peter's face changed. His eyebrows shot up and his jaw slackened. "You honestly don't know?" he asked, amazed.

"Leave it alone," came Derek's voice. He was still collecting the books into a neat little pile, but his eyes flashed red as he glanced over his shoulder at his uncle.

"Derek?" she ventured.

"You didn't tell her?" Peter asked, stepping closer. Derek slammed a stack of books down onto the table but he just kept going. "The most important connection a werewolf can form and you don't tell her about it? You don't even mention it before you bite her?"

Paige felt a twist in her gut. She didn't like that Peter knew things she didn't – things that were apparently very important. And the bite – what was he talking about with the bite? Vaguely, she recalled the blaze of pain and pleasure as Derek's teeth had sunk into her the other day – the fierce tidal wave that had sent her right over the brink. But, biting was pretty commonplace for them in the bedroom – if both of them weren't a little bloody before they went to bed, that was a problem. Though… there _had_ been something special about that bite.

"Peter…" Derek growled.

"Derek? What is he talking about?" Paige asked one last time.

"Well, when two werewolves love each other very much," Peter interrupted in a singsong voice.

"Drop it," Derek snapped, raising his voice a bit.

But Peter just blazed on. "An alpha is the only one who can give the bite that transforms but any werewolf can give the bite that binds," Peter told her. "He bit you recently, didn't he?" _Yes,_ Paige wanted to say. But this was Peter, and she hated Peter, so she just glared at him. "I'm going to take that as a yes," he decided. "That bite marked you as his own – every other werewolf will sniff you and instantly know that you belong to him and he belongs to you, even if you haven't scentmarked him in ages."

"What…?" This was still way too confusing. And Derek wasn't being any help – just standing there, gripping the edge of the table with white knuckles.

"Of course, the bite doesn't work unless both partners are willing," Peter continued. "It's not like a werewolf can trap another werewolf – or human - into that kind of commitment. The bond has to already be there, the bite just… makes it more solid. Your senses become more in sync with your mate – in fact sometimes, in extreme moments of distress, you can feel what your mate feels. It's all just oh-so tragically romantic."

"And… is this permanent?" Paige didn't know why that mattered to her. Didn't know why she'd want to undo something like that – a connection to Derek, but it was the first thing she could think to ask.

"Werewolves mate for life, Paige," Peter smiled. Then he glanced at Derek and found that his work was done. The man was scowling like it was his job, but also watching Paige's reactions with trepidation.

The she-wolf turned to Derek, wide-eyed and hurt. "You… did you _marry_ me without _telling me_?" she asked.

"I mated you," Derek said simply. "There's a difference."

"Right – I could get a divorce if we had gotten married," Paige shot back.

She was angry. The rage had come on in a splash of fury because for the life of her, she couldn't piece together why he wouldn't tell her about this ahead of time. Did he think she wouldn't want it if he had asked beforehand? _Would_ she have said yes? Ha, well duh – of course she would have said yes. Who was she kidding, truly? But he didn't know that and so he had no right to bind her like that. Biting her lip, she watched as Derek's face dropped into the closest thing to sheepishness she had ever seen him express. "Get out," he ordered Peter.

"And miss this show?" was the man's reply.

"Get the _fuck_ out," Paige snapped.

This time the man was too surprised to put up much of a fight. But then again, the last time Peter had seen Paige, she'd been petrified of her own shadow. So, out the door he went, only shooting Derek one meaningful glance.

"Why… why wouldn't you tell me – warn me – something…?" she asked. Peter was still in earshot, she knew but he could probably walk to the far edge of the forest and still be able to train his hearing on the couple.

"I was going to tell you after this all settled down," he told her.

"That doesn't explain why you didn't warn my _before_ you did it," she argued. "I'm not mad that you didn't tell me before all the hunter things got settled – I'm mad that you didn't tell me before you _did it._ It doesn't matter if the ability for the bond to form or whatever is there, I would have liked you to tell me what this mating thing is and then get my _verbal permission_."

"You said you weren't leaving," he rationalized. But he looked hurt.

Taking a big sigh, Paige forced herself to calm down. "I would have said yes, Derek," she explained. "If you had asked, I would have said yes. I'm just angry that you didn't ask first – that I had to find out from Peter, of all people, that we are permanently tied together."

"I'm… sorry," he finally said after a long moment of silence.

Paige had no choice but to accept it. She didn't know if it was the expression on his face or the mating bond, but she felt her own heart hurt just by looking at him. He was feeling sufficiently guilty – and guilt was something that man had in abundance.

"Just… could you just tell me _why_?" she requested.

But Derek just clenched his jaw and looked off to the side.

"Tell me," she repeated.

This time he looked at her. Anger flashed in his eyes but she didn't know if it was aimed at her for pressing, aimed at Peter for revealing his secret, or aimed at himself for doing it in the first place. "I had been thinking about it for a while and I was going to wait until after this business was done with," he explained. "After Jackson was dead, or stopped, or whatever – after Gerard was taken care of. After the pack had gotten back on its feet, essentially."

"So why didn't you?" Paige crossed her arms and stood her ground.

"It occurred to me… that one or both of us could die before this was all over," he finally admitted through clenched teeth. "And if I were to die, you'd be protected. Normally, if a werewolf isn't the one to kill the alpha, that lineage is passed to the alpha's next of kin – starting with children, then mates, then extended relatives. You would be the next alpha. So, if you chose to stay in Beacon Hills, you'd have the power to protect the pack. If you left, there are those two families I told you about a while ago – the families in New York. They'd smell my mark on you, even after my death and take you in, keep you safe." Paige nodded slowly, understanding the logistics of that kind of move. Then something occurred to her.

"But, wouldn't it make more sense to warn me about something like that?" she asked. "I wouldn't know I was the next alpha until it suddenly happened. I wouldn't know where to find the New York families."

"I know," Derek admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Then I started thinking about if it was you. And if it was you, if you were to die…

Everything clicked in her head and she interrupted him – mind still focused on how illogical he was being. "Even if we weren't mates, the pack would still have followed me – we still could have left and the families in New York would still probably have accepted us as Derek Hale's fledgling pack. I wouldn't have truly needed the status of your mate if you had died. And," she frowned. "And if I died, that would make even less sense – if werewolves mate for life that makes no sense. Even if a mate dies, the bond is still there and the living mate could never mate with someone else. You'd be stuck with a corpse as your mate for the rest of your life. How could that benefit you at all? Why would you do that to yourself?"

He didn't answer for a good long time. But she waited patiently. Finally he said softly, "I've already lost everyone who has ever meant anything to me, Paige. I can't replace those people. And I've realized that I wouldn't be able to replace you either. I can't imagine being with anyone the same way I'm with you. That isn't even a possibility in my mind. You're it. To me, you're the only one. If you die, I want you to die as my mate because I don't want anyone else."

The silence had never been louder. Paige gulped fresh air because the oxygen in her lungs was growing stale. It wasn't the declaration of undying love she had expected – but it had Derek stamped all over it and she was absolutely glad to accept it.

She shot across the room and threw herself into his arms.

As always, he was quick to catch her. Her nose pressed sharply into the juncture of his neck and shoulders, inhaling his scent. Only then did she notice the mild change – he still smelled like Derek Hale, but under that first layer there was another smell. It was sweeter, more floral but with a sharper undertone of cinnamon. This was what the mark had done to him – forever ingrained a little bit of Paige into his flesh. And then, she realized that under her own layer of scent, she must also bear a little bit of Derek on her body.

Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him even closer to her.

"Hate to break up this touching moment, but we have bigger things to deal with," came Peter's voice.

Paige frowned at him and reluctantly let Derek go.

"So how do we deal with them?" Paige asked.

"First we need Scott and Isaac," Peter informed them.

"Are they still at the school?" Derek asked Paige.

"I… I'm assuming," she shrugged. "I don't know when lacrosse games usually end."

"Then let's meet them there," Peter decided. And just like that, he was out the door. Derek followed not a millisecond later, announcing, "I'll drive."

The she-wolf took a moment to frown at the scene in front of her: Peter leading and Derek following. Briefly, she realized that this was all Peter's plan, Peter's idea and they were working off of Peter's information. And yeah, sure, right now the pickings were minimal, but still – she knew she trusted Deaton a lot more than this man and Deaton had said not to trust Peter. Paige continued to scowl as a caught up with her alpha – her mate, she corrected herself. Shit, that was weird.

"Shot-gun!" she called out, trying to force her unwanted thoughts away.

Peter gave her a look, but slid into the back. The entire ride over to the school, his foot continued to tap at the back of her seat in revenge. She tried her best to ignore it, remembering his earlier words: they had bigger problems to deal with.

It was easy enough to track the two betas into the locker room. They were standing near a doorless locker, each holding an article of clothing when Scott furrowed his brows and glanced up – spotting Derek and Paige. Peter had apparently decided to hang back a bit to prevent Scott from falling over in shock to see Peter alive and well. He tapped Isaac on the shoulder to get his attention.

"We need to talk," Derek said, simply.

"All of us," Peter added, stepping out from behind the locker like the true diva he was. Paige rolled her eyes.

"Holy… shit," Scott breathed. "What the hell is this?" he asked after catching his breath and mentally steadying himself.

"You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the Sherriff's station," Derek snarked.

"Hey, hold on!" Scott protested. "He threatened to kill my mom! And I had to get close to him. What else was I supposed to do?"

"I'll go with Scott on this one," Peter put in. "Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous…"

"Shut up," Paige snapped and was pleasantly surprised to find her voice joined in unison by Derek and Scott. Peter just rolled his eyes.

"Who is he?" Isaac asked Scott. And then Paige realized that of course Isaac didn't know who this man was. Paige often spoke about the wolf who had turned her – their current alpha's crazy uncle, but she also was always quick to mention that that man was dead.

"That's Peter, Derek's uncle," Scott explained. "Little while back he tried to kill us all, then we set him on fire and then Derek slashed his throat."

"Hi," Peter gave a little wave and ignored the look Paige shot him.

"That's good to know," Isaac decided.

"How is he alive?" Scott finally got around to asking.

"Look," Derek began, the agitation already apparent in his voice. He was impatient to the max and right now they didn't have time to lose. "The short version is that he knows how to stop Jackson." He paused and added, "Maybe how to save him."

The two boys shared a look and then Isaac spoke up. "Well, that's very helpful except Jackson's dead."

"What?" Derek asked. Paige's mouth fell open. Granted she'd never truly liked the boy and she vividly recalled every time he had tried to get her to blush with his advances just because he was cruel, that didn't mean she had ever wanted him dead.

"Jackson's dead," Scott agreed. "It just happened on the field."

Peter and Derek shared a knowing look before Derek's eyes slid to meet Paige's as he frowned deeply. Apparently this mate thing didn't involve telecommunication because right now she had no idea what he was thinking.

"Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?" Isaac asked.

"Because if Jackson is dead, it didn't just happen," Peter explained. "Gerard wanted it to happen."

"But why?" Derek was quick to ask.

"Well, that's exactly what we need to figure out," Peter replied. "And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly."

Paige clenched her hands and scowled at the floor of the locker room. Something big was going to happen. Something big and terrifying and Paige was maybe prepared. But maybe not.

"So," Paige began, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Where do we go to find out how to fix this?"

Peter turned to her with a terrifying grin. He replied, "Back to the place where is all began."

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Go," Derek told her. "If you can move, go."**

**Pressing a hasty kiss to his cheek, she told him, "Not without you."**

**"Paige, listen to me," he began, but Paige cut him off.**

**"It's you and me, Derek," she said. "You're it."**

**"You're an idiot," he gritted out.**

* * *

_Somehow I know that_

_We can't wake again from this dream_

_It's not real, but it's ours_

_Maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away_

_We'll be lost before the dawn_


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Evanescence.**

**A/N: Here it is! Bright and early!**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Frozen inside without your touch_

_Without your love, darling_

_Only you are the life among the dead_

* * *

**Previously:**

**"So," Paige began, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Where do we go to find out how to fix this?"**

**Peter turned to her with a terrifying grin. He replied, "Back to the place where is all began."**

* * *

Despite the cryptic reply, Paige instinctively knew that Peter meant the Hale house. The place it had all begun – six years ago in a blaze of pain and flame. The place where Peter lost his mind, where Derek lost everything, where Scott was changed, where Laura was laid to rest, where Kate Argent had her throat slashed open, where Boyd and Erica abandoned the pack. Where it all began.

Paige didn't insist on shotgun this time, preferring the company of the younger betas. "How are you?" she asked Isaac, recalling that last time she'd seen him, he'd been struggling to stand after the effects of the kanima toxin had worn off.

"I've been better," Isaac shrugged.

"Stiles is missing," Scott suddenly spoke up from the other side of Isaac.

"What?"

"He was missing from the field when the game was over," he told her. "The hunters might have him."

"Would they kill a human?" Paige asked, already knowing the answer. Peter snorted from the passenger seat and her heart sunk. "But, do we know for sure that he's with them?"

Isaac and Scott shared a look and then Scott replied, "He was missing after we found Jackson's body. We were going to track him, but we got sidetracked with this…"

"This is more important," Paige assured him. "If Gerard is planning something, then the more information we have, the better."

After a brief moment, Scott nodded in agreement. But the tension didn't leave his shoulders until the group entered the Hale house and his phone dinged. "They found Stiles," he breathed.

Paige had just enough time to be relieved for him before Derek spoke up. "Look," he snapped. "I told you I looked everywhere."

"You didn't look here," Peter shot back, jumping up the stairs. Leaning down, he tapped at the side of the stairs before suddenly ripping the wood from one of the stairs. And out popped a box. Paige came to stand next to Derek as she sharpened her eyesight enough to get a better image of the box even in the dark.

"What is that?" Derek asked. "A book?"

Peter shot him a disbelieving look. "No," he scoffed. "It's a laptop. What century are you living in?" He opened to box and explained, "A few days after I got out of the coma I transferred everything we had. Fortunately the Argents aren't the only ones who keep records." He stood and crossed the room.

Scott's phone rang, but Paige wasn't even paying attention as she followed Peter into the other room. "You mean you had some free time between killing a bunch of people?" she snarked.

"Oh, hush," Peter pouted at her, but then turned his attention back to setting up the computer.

"My mom says something weird is going on with Jackson's body," Scott suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Weird?" Paige furrowed her brows. That could mean anything.

But Derek was already twisting to Peter. To get Peter's counsel. Paige tried not to think about that. "What's going on with him?"

Peter gestured to the computer that was only just booting up. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I'm willing to bet it's not good."

"Go check it out," Derek finally decided. "Isaac, go with him – he might need back up." The boys took off without another word. Paige came to stand beside Derek again and was surprised when his hand reached out to brush against her own. She glanced up to his uncertain expression. Instantly, she twisted her arm and captured his hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

They all waited in silence – Peter scrolling through word document after word document, Derek frowning at the computer screen and Paige standing beside her alpha. Then, a ringing phone echoed in the abandoned house. Paige crossed the room to Derek's discarded jacket and retrieved the phone.

"I need to talk to Derek," Scott instantly said.

Paige didn't even bother to speak, she just approached the table and handed Derek his phone.

"They say he's in some kind of transparent casing made from the venom coming out from his claws," Derek announced after a moment of listening.

"Well… that sounds sufficiently terrifying," Peter snarked. Maybe one day he'd take the situation seriously. Right now was apparently not the right time.

"They also say he's starting to move…" Derek added. Paige flinched. So… was he not dead then? Did that mean Jackson would survive this whole ordeal? But… if he hadn't died – what had happened? What was currently happening?

"Okay, okay – I think I found something," Peter spoke up. "Looks like what we've seen from Jackson is just his beta shape."

Derek leaned over. "What – you mean he can turn into something bigger?"

"Bigger and badder," Peter agreed.

"He's turning into that? _That_ has wings." And suddenly Paige was glad to be on the other side of the table – unable to see whatever to two Hales were looking at. She had just gotten over her nightmares of seeing Peter's ugly mug – she didn't need another creature plaguing her dreams.

"I can see that."

"You've got to bring him to us," Derek told Scott.

"Look – someone actually made an animation of it," Peter announced. "Maybe it's less frightening if we –" A shriek rang out and Derek shot up. He and Paige locked eyes. The sheer terror in his expression dissolved as he caught his breath. But Paige could feel it – this mate bond was apparently a very real thing and she could feel just how frightening that animation was.

"Nope. Not at all," Peter decided, shutting the lid. "Maybe we should meet them halfway."

"Scott, get him out of there now. Go now." Derek instantly shut the phone, assuming rightfully that Scott would follow his orders without question. Paige grabbed her coat and fell into step with her mate as they made a move to leave the house.

"Derek, we need Lydia." Peter's voice stopped them.

"There's no time," Derek argued, twisting to face his uncle.

"That's the problem," Peter protested. "We're rushing. We're moving too fast. And while everyone knows that a moving target it harder to hit, here we are racing into Gerard's crosshairs."

Paige swallowed loudly, unsure of what to feel. If Peter was right, they could be rushing into a trap, running to meet that flying, shrieking creature without knowing anything about it. Derek didn't even hesitate.

"If I get the chance to kill Jackson, I'm taking it." And then he stalked out the door.

"You could probably talk some sense into him," Peter sighed, sounding exhausted.

"You want me to convince him that you're right?" Paige clarified. When Peter nodded, Paige scoffed a bit. "You will not use me to force your own agenda on Derek. We've left this kid alive for far too long. Right now, this is all we can do. Jackson died a long time ago," she decided, coming to the realization herself. "Jackson died when Derek bit him. And Derek knows that. And that hurts him, because he thinks he's to blame for all the deaths Jackson committed. It's time to end this."

And then she followed her mate out the door.

They bypassed the Camaro in favor of running. Truth be told, it was faster anyways. As they neared the warehouse Derek had instructed Scott to do to, Peter broke off from the group. Paige barely had a moment to scoff, "Coward," before the other betas came into sight… as did Chris Argent.

Paige glanced at Derek, wondering if he was going to slow down or not. She gave a small whimper that she knew he would interpret as a question, and he returned a noise. "Keep going," his grunt told her.

Finally, Derek flipped into the air and fell into a solid landing. Paige just pulled up short and stood to flank her mate.

"I'm here for Jackson," Chris began. "Not you."

"Somehow I don't find that very comforting," Derek snarked back. Paige's frown remained in place and she cocked her head to look him up and down. His heartbeat hadn't jumped. He was telling the truth. But the night was young. And where the fuck was Allison? "Get him inside," Derek ordered, breaking his staring contest with the hunter.

The boys made quick work of carrying Jackson's body into the warehouse. Paige vaguely recognized it to be the one she had had her first full moon in. Man, they got a lot of work out of this place.

"Where are they?" Scott asked, once they set him down.

"Who?" Derek asked, glancing around. Even Paige was a little confused.

"Peter and Lydia!" Scott shot back. Oh.

Derek rolled his eyes a bit. But she knew what he was thinking – what he was feeling. It was more blatant now that she knew about the mate bond. Derek was nervous. Derek wasn't sure he could do this without Lydia and all that stupid love shit. Even from where she was standing, she could smell Peter – so she knew Derek could smell him too. At least they weren't alone. Paige glanced up and locked eyes with Peter briefly. She didn't trust the fact that he was looming all suspicious like in the corner.

Suddenly Derek approached the body and unzipped the bag. "Okay – well hold on a second," Scott interrupted. "You said you knew how to save him!"

"We're past that," Derek simply snapped back.

"What about –"

"Think about it Scott!" Derek had made up his mind. "Gerard controls him now! Alright! He's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog. He set all of this in motion so that Jackson can get even bigger and more powerful."

"No," Chris said decisively. "No. He wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid. And my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live."

"Of course not," a voice came from the entrance of the warehouse. Paige's spine melted as she recognized who it was. Instinctively, she took a step closer to Derek. "Anything that dangerous – that out of control – is better off dead."

She felt the exact millisecond that Derek decided to make a move. Before his body tensed, she knew he was about to attack. And then he moved – his arm coming back, his claws out and he slashed downward. Paige also felt the exact moment when Jackson's claws penetrated her mate's chest cavity. She felt it before she saw it. But seeing it didn't help. Seeing it didn't help the anguished shriek that fell from her mouth as the pain in her chest radiated from an invisible wound and she watched Jackson lift him up and then chuck him across the warehouse.

Then instinct took over.

Her feet moved before she could think about it and her claws gleamed in the moonlight. They whistled as they came down across Jackson's chest – but nothing happened. No blood, no wounds. It was like cutting diamonds. The surprise didn't last long as suddenly the kanima's fist met her stomach and she was knocked halfway across the warehouse.

When she caught her breath, she listened for Derek. Yes – he was breathing. Yes – his heart was beating. And then she felt guilty. If she could feel his pain, could he feel hers? Had she just added to his pain by getting hurt?

"You were bringing Derek to me…"

Paige's head shot up when her heard her mate's name come from Gerard's mouth. That was the only reason she was able to see the arrow that shot out from nowhere and pierced Isaac's vulnerable chest.

"Allison?" Scott asked. But Paige was already on her feet – moving so that she could get closer to her friend. Scott apparently had the same idea and they both grabbed Isaac at the same time. Together, they yanked him up and tried to get him to safety as shots rang out.

Paige glanced behind her long enough to see the kanima toss Chris to the side. And then Derek flipped onto the scene. He was shifted and Paige instantly felt her face grow into the she-wolf. Beside her, she could smell Isaac and Scott changing shape. For the first time in a long time she felt like part of a pack as they all began to converge on the monster at the same time. Derek managed to get a swing in before Jackson slashed him in the gut. Scott jumped on his back but was promptly thrown off. And then it was Paige's turn.

On strong legs, she pushed her body into the air so that she could flip over the kanima and land behind it. She had realized long ago it was better to catch the thing unaware instead of facing it directly.

Her claws sunk into flesh this time, but then he twisted around and reciprocated with talons in her gut – sinking in to deeply that she lost her breath.

The warehouse floor rose up to meet her and when she couldn't even move to push herself up, she realized that she had been poisoned. Shit. She could hear Isaac attack the kanima, and then Derek and then Scott and then Derek again. But then she heard Derek stay down. He had been infected too. She wished briefly that she could turn her head and see him – make sure with her sight that he was okay.

But instead, she was able to witness Isaac rise to his feet to defend his alpha – only to be damn near gutted by Allison. Paige whined into the floor as Isaac dropped instantly.

That bitch. That bitch would pay for hurting her pack. End of story.

And then… and then her eyes lit up as she caught sight of something. Derek, Paige realized. Allison had caught sight of Derek. This time Paige roared – in pain and in warning to her mate that this girl would kill him.

"Allison!" Scott shouted.

"Not yet sweetheart," Gerard spoke up.

Paige heard Allison gasp, but she was out of her line of sight at the moment. Paige hoped she was in pain. Lot's and lot's of pain. The kind of pain that stuck with you into your dreams.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked.

"He's doing what he came here to do," Scott explained. Well – that wasn't ominous.

"Then you know?" Gerard asked.

"What's he talking about?" Allison continued to pressure.

Suddenly Paige felt like something was seriously about to go wrong. Willing an overwhelming amount of strength into her body, she was surprised her find that she could inch her arm forward a bit. The healing process – she realized. The slashes on her stomach must be so deep that her healing process was in overdrive and was forcing the toxin from her body. She didn't know if she should be glad, or scared.

Either way, she decided it didn't matter as she began to awkwardly crawl toward Derek.

"It was that night outside the hospital wasn't it?" Gerard asked. Paige was only half-listening, to focused on her goal to do much else. "When I threatened your mother. I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could smell it couldn't you?"

"He's dying," Isaac realized.

Part of her wanted to turn around because she wanted to know if she could see the death on him. But instead she was able to reach her mate. Awkwardly, she slid up next to him and her body went weak. She had reached her goal – it was time to stop.

"I am," he admitted. "And for a while now. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a cure for cancer yet. But the supernatural does."

Derek was watching Gerard and for some reason she just knew that the hunter was gazing at her mate.

"You monster," Chris accused and Paige couldn't agree more.

"Not yet," Gerard snapped back.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked one more time.

"You'd kill her too?"

"When it comes to survival – I'd kill my own son," Gerard informed his own son. Paige instinctively reached her hand out to grab at the fabric of Derek's shirt to pull herself closer. This man was crazed. There was a reason Kate was the way she was. She wouldn't let this man hurt her mate. Never.

"Scott…?" Gerard inquired.

And suddenly everything made sense.

Paige's grip tightened as Scott made up his mind and approached the two wolves on the floor. Slowly, he came to stand next to them and then his hand shot out and gripped Derek's neck. When he gave a noise of protest, Paige whined. Not him. Please, not this. As Scott dragged Derek to his feet, Paige was dragged with him – refusing to let go of his shirt.

"Scott, no," she pleaded. But he just grasped her wrist in a vice-grip that made her let go. With a thud, she hit the floor and gasped.

"Scott, don't," Derek tried. "You know he's going to kill me right after. He'll be an alpha." Paige clawed at the floor as she tried to crawl after them.

"That's true," Gerard admitted. "But I think he already knows that. Don't you, Scott? He knows that the ultimate prize is Allison. Do this small task for me and they can be together. You are the only piece that doesn't fit, Derek. And if you haven't learned it yet – there's just no competing with young love."

Paige could reach Scott's leg. She sunk her claws into his ankle – but he just kicked back, breaking her nose. Curling into herself, she closed her eyes and willed the pain away long enough to save Derek.

"Scott, don't," Derek repeated. "Don't!"

"I'm sorry," Scott said. "But I have to."

Gerard reached the wolves, and Scott yanked Derek's head back. Paige blinked to rid her eyes from the tears of pain, and caught sight of Gerard placing his wrinkly old arm into Derek's mouth. Involuntarily, his mouth closed. Gerard let out a noise and instantly, Scott dropped Derek right onto her. Immediately, her arms were around him, pulling him closer – trying to slide back, away from here, out of here, anywhere but here.

"Go," Derek told her. "If you can move, go."

Pressing a hasty kiss to his cheek, she told him, "Not without you."

"Paige, listen to me," he began, but Paige cut him off.

"It's you and me, Derek," she said. "You're it."

"You're an idiot," he gritted out.

"So are you," she said, tightening her grip on him. But then suddenly a terrible smell pierced her senses and she glanced up. "What is that?" was the first thing out of her mouth. Black blood was running down the old man's arm.

"Everyone said Gerard always had a plan," Scott explained, turning to Derek and Paige. "I had a plan, too."

Gerard yanked a small metal pillbox from his pocket and opened it. He poured some into his hand and then crushed them angrily. "Mountain ash!" he screamed.

And then the blood started leaking from his eyes and his nose and his ears. And then a huge gush sprung from his mouth. Paige buried her face into Derek's shoulder, deciding that she didn't want to see this. The thud told her that he had fallen to the ground.

'Why didn't you tell me?" Derek asked.

"Because you might be an alpha," Scott explained. "But you aren't mine."

Paige felt Derek's rejection radiating through her. She pressed her face closer into his skin in some effort to soothe him. She knew that Derek, more than anything, wanted Scott to listen and respect him.

"Kill them," came Gerard's voice. "Kill them all!"

She opened her eyes just in time to see a car burst through the wall and hit the kanima square in the face. Paige wondered where Allison went before she decided that she didn't care.

"Did I get him?" asked Stiles. And then she realized who had come to their rescue.

The kanima jumped onto the car and both the people inside screamed. They hopped out of the car and Paige saw that Lydia was the other person in the car.

"Jackson!" she shouted, foolishly approaching the creature. "Jackson!"

"Lydia!" Stiles screamed when he realized that she was moving toward the kanima. But she ignored him in favor of holding up a small bit of metal – a key. The kanima froze. Slowly, he shifted back to a human.

Paige was finally able to stand – and it seemed that so was Derek because he stumbled into a standing position before helping her up, pulling her body close to his to steady her.

Jackson began to step backwards, turning to look at Derek. His eyes were so… lost. Pitiful. He was asking to be put down, Paige realized. He knew he was hurting people and he was asking Derek to put him out of his misery. Paige saw Peter in the corner and then suddenly Derek was pulling away from her to meet his uncle in the middle with Jackson – both of them gutting him like a fish. Everyone gasped.

The boy gave a choked noise in the back of his throat and Paige forced herself to look away. She didn't want to see her brother's friend die. Not at all. It was hard to forget how deeply she blushed when Jackson would slyly smirk at her and then give a little wink. A big part of Paige had just been resent – even if she had been too scared to speak up at the time. But another part of her had always kind of admired the boy for his confidence. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling now, as he was dangled in the air by werewolf claws, preparing to die. The tears already prickled at her eyes.

They released him and stepped back. Just as he began to fall forward, Lydia rushed to meet him and hold him up.

Derek shifted back to a human and shuffled all the way back to Paige. His guilt was immense – she could feel it echoing in her own chest cavity. In some semblance of comfort, she reached out to grab his hand and slip her fingers around his.

Slowly, Lydia and Jackson dropped to their knees.

Isaac backed away from the scene, taking comfort in his alpha. When Derek reached up to put a hand on his beta's shoulder to steady him, Paige squeezed his hand a bit. They were all connected. And even though Erica and Boyd weren't here, the pack felt the strongest it had ever felt.

"Do you… do you… still…?" Even now, Jackson's voice was fading.

"I do!" Lydia was quick to answer. "I do still love you. I do, I do still love you," she told him, her voice breaking.

And then all the energy Jackson seemed to have had faded swiftly as he rested his head on Lydia's shoulder. She cupped his head gingerly and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to stream wildly. Gently, she laid him down. The scent of grief was rolling off everyone – even if they hadn't always liked Jackson, no one could watch that kind of scene and not be moved. Paige tasted her own tears.

"Where's Gerard?" Allison asked.

Paige glanced around and realized the man had left. She instantly tried to pull her hand from Derek's and go find him, but her mate wouldn't let go. He finally tore his gaze from the scene in front of them and caught her gaze. Minutely, he shook his head and she caught the nonverbal command, "Stay."

Only then did he seem to notice her tears.

"He can't be far," Chris spoke up.

With a sigh, Derek released Isaac and turned around. Gently, he wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs and put his hands on her shoulders. With her eyes, she tried to tell him what she was thinking.

She was thinking that it could have been him. If Scott hadn't gone behind their backs, it would have been Derek who would have died tonight. She would have had to watch as Gerard became a werewolf and then she would have had to watch the hunter-turned-wolf cut her mate in half. She would have had to see the blood, the shocked expression forever fixed onto his face. And Lord – the feeling of loss. Right now, touching him, she feel more complete, more filled then when they were making love. The idea of losing that piece of herself was so desperately frightening.

His grip tightened on her shoulders and she knew he understood. With a jerk of his head, Derek signaled that maybe it was time to make their exit.

Lydia stood, trying to catch her breath. And Paige watched Stiles step forward – always the bride, never the bridesmaid – to comfort her. She almost felt sorry for him – no, she did feel sorry but watching Jackson die, watching the woman who loves him watch him die and then nearly losing Derek had left her emotionally drained. She didn't have enough pity to go around.

But then… the sound of something sliding along the cement rang through the warehouse.

Claws. Paige knew that sound so distinctly.

Pushing Derek back and to the side a bit so that she could see over his shoulder, she watched Jackson's eyes shoot open. Shit! Was the kanima not dead? Was it an immortal monster?

Slowly, he got to his feet. Paige let her own claws come out as Derek turned to shield her from the awakened creature. If this thing wanted a fight, they would give it to him. But then… she caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. It was distinctly werewolf, but not a werewolf she had ever encountered. It was until Jackson threw his head back and howled that Paige realized Jackson was the werewolf.

And then, as slowly as he had stood and shifted, his shift reversed and he looked around bewildered. When he locked eyes with Lydia, she rushed into his arms.

"He's… a wolf," Paige breathed.

* * *

**Preview:**

**"Things will never settle down," he protested softly – almost like he hated admitting it to himself. "I told you – this is just a break."**

**"But, they could," Paige insisted, pulling completely away from him. She didn't want to touch him right now.**

**"Paige," his voice was tight with emotion he wasn't ready to share yet. "I don't want kids."**

* * *

_Without thought, without voice, without a soul_

_Don't let me die here_

_There must be something more_

_Bring me to life_


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Lana Del Rey.**

**A/N: Sorry that this was late! I had two midterms and a speech competition!**

**Prepare for the angst! And believe me, it only gets worse next chapter! Which is the last chapter! Whoot!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Come on take a walk on the wild side_

_Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain_

_You like your girls insane_

* * *

**Previously:**

**Slowly, he got to his feet. Paige let her own claws come out as Derek turned to shield her from the awakened creature. If this thing wanted a fight, they would give it to him. But then… she caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. It was distinctly werewolf, but not a werewolf she had ever encountered. It wasn't until Jackson threw his head back and howled that Paige realized Jackson was the werewolf.**

**And then, as slowly as he had stood and shifted, his shift reversed and he looked around bewildered. When he locked eyes with Lydia, she rushed into his arms.**

**"He's… a wolf," Paige breathed.**

* * *

"I still think we should have looked for Gerard," Peter spoke up as they all piled into Derek's car.

Paige had called shotgun again. Since the danger seemed to have passed, Peter had regained his usual snappishness and had protested a bit when she had demanded the passenger seat. Paige had just looked to Derek, knowing the alpha would back her up. Derek had jerked his head in gesture to the back seat and Peter had only hesitated to scowl at Paige, before slinking into the back. Paige tried not to smile too triumphantly as she took her place beside Derek.

"Drop it," Derek snapped, exhausted and still weak from the kanima venom. Paige slid her eyes a bit to catch sight of him. She was worried. "The Argents will deal with it."

"I love that they seem to have become your new best friends," Peter sniped back. "Remember the last time you got too close to them?"

"Drop it," both Paige and Derek snapped this time. She had been able to feel how much that comment had shaken him.

Crossing his arms, Peter leaned back and shut him mouth. Not for long, though. "So," he began. "Your name is Isaac."

"Yes."

"They didn't tell you about me, did they?"

"Paige told me some stories."

The aforementioned girl yanked down the overhead mirror and watched the interaction behind her.

"Good stories?"

"No."

"Oh, boo. You can't judge me based on what Paige's said about me. She doesn't truly know me – I mean, we got coffee and went shopping once, but she wasn't very friendly the entire time. Her view is tainted."

"Okay."

There was a pause before, "I hear that your dad beat you. Did you take the bite so that you could kill him?"

"Peter!" Paige couldn't help her outburst as she twisted around to face the man.

"It's a perfectly logical conclusion: become a werewolf, escape the shitty family situation."

"But that doesn't mean – agh! Why would you ask something like that? Leave him alone."

"Aw… is momma wolf getting defensive of her betas?"

"He isn't my beta – I'm a beta. He's Derek's beta." Turning straightforward again, she huffed. She did not miss this man. Glancing over to her mate, because she was hoping he was as annoyed as she was, she found him furrowing his eyebrows at the road ahead. That was not his annoyed expression – that was his thoughtful expression. What the hell was he thoughtful about? Surely not the comment about Paige being a momma wolf? That would just be… weird.

"Someone's a little too defensive…"

Paige's eyes narrowed. But Peter seemed to quiet down after that. She was extremely grateful and leaned farther back in her seat, enjoying the relaxation.

"Did you know her real name is actually Gretchen?" came Peter's voice.

That made her shoot right up to turn around and glare at Peter.

"Really?" Isaac's face lit up with humor and she quickly realized that Pandora's box had been sufficiently opened wide.

"I had forgotten about that…" came Derek's quietly mutter.

"You sure you want to be mated to a woman named Gretchen?" Peter asked.

And she was absolutely horrified when Derek replied, "Too late to do anything now."

It wasn't that he was implying that he was regretting making her his mate. She knew he was joking. It was the fact that _he was joking_ in a non-sarcastic way with someone who was not Paige Flanagan – with _Peter_ of all people. No. No, no, no. That wasn't going to work. Sure, he had essentially saved their lives tonight but Deaton had warned them not to trust him and… well, Deaton had never tried to kill them.

Her horror only intensified when Isaac asked suddenly, "What do you mean – mated?"

"Wow – you just enjoy keeping everyone out of the loop, don't you Derek?" Peter snarked, cocking his head.

Derek didn't dignify him with any kind of response. And Paige had only just opened her mouth to snap that he should really just shut the fuck up, when Peter continued, "These two got hitched the werewolf way." His smirk became focused on Paige but he continued to address Isaac, "Don't tell me you forgot to get your fearless leaders a wedding present!"

"I didn't…" Isaac faltered. "Paige – why didn't you tell me?"

She spared Derek a glance – but he was still driving very diligently. "I wasn't entirely sure about everything," she answered.

"That certainly isn't vague," Peter smiled.

"We're here," Derek announced, hitting the breaks. Back to the subway station. "We should try to catch some sleep here and then regroup tomorrow." He opened his door and hopped out. "Wait here – I'll check for traps."

He was only gone for a few minutes.

"All clear?" Paige asked, sliding out of her seat. He nodded and they all went down to the train cars.

It had been impossible to transport the mattress when they had been in hiding and so it was still there in the renovated train car.

"Let's give the newlyweds some privacy, shall we?" Peter suggested, looping an arm around Isaac.

When the boy glanced from Peter to Paige with a less-than-enthusiastic face, Paige tried to tell him, "You don't have –" But Derek nodded his appreciation to Peter and the other betas disappeared.

Paige tried not to frown too deeply in Derek's general direction as he yanked off his shirt and dropped his pants. It was only after he had plopped down onto the mattress, waiting for her to join him that he realized Paige had made no move to undress.

"What?" he asked, his eyes furrowing.

"Remember what Deaton said," she simply suggested, and then pulled her own shirt over her head. As the piece of cotton slipped over her eyes, she lost sight of her mate for a brief second. And that was all the time it took for his expression to pinch together.

"I know." Derek suddenly sat up and yanked Paige forward by her hips. In an instant, he unsnapped the button and unzipped her fly – jerking her skinny jeans down her hips and thighs. Part of her underwear got caught in his grasp as well – but Paige pulled it back into place. The mere idea of doing anything while Isaac and Peter – _Peter_ of all people – were in hearing distance made her stomach turn. He pulled her closer and pressed his face into the hot skin of her abdomen. "I remember," he muttered into her soft flesh. "I do."

Her fingers found his hair and shifted the black locks around in a method that she hoped was soothing. He breathed deeply against her and finally pulled away – allowing her to join him.

They had always kept a bit of distance between themselves when they slept – it was just the habit of people who had always been alone. But usually right before they slept and in the early morning they would reach out for each other and sometimes hold hands, or throw an arm around the other. Tonight it just didn't seem like enough. Paige linked her legs in between his and let her ear settle over his heartbeat.

"This is my anchor," she told him, breaking the pre-sleep silence. "Since the beginning, this has been my anchor – I could focus so much better, control myself so much better when I could hear your heartbeat."

Derek didn't say anything – she hadn't expected him to. He was the kind of man who only spoke when he could improve the silence. Also – she knew that at some level anger was still going to be his anchor; it didn't matter how many years they spent together. His anger had been with him so long and so intensely that it was never going to leave – but that didn't mean that it had to come between them. Paige was so acutely aware that she might not feel the same way about this man if he wasn't exactly who he was – flaws and all. His anger is what made him who he was.

"It's over," Paige realized, speaking again. She lifted her head and smiled up at her mate. "The kanima – the crazy hunters." A laugh that was probably borderline hysterical erupted from her mouth. "We can finally settle down, relax – rebuild. If Erica and Boyd are still close by we can find them and they can come back."

"Erica and Boyd left," he reminded her. "And the life of a werewolf is always full of dangers – this is just a break." When her smile dropped into a frown, he tried to recover, "But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't enjoy the break while we have it."

"Right…" Paige let her head return to his chest. His proximity comforted her more than his words. "I just really wish we could all settle down."

"Me too," he admitted, running a hand down her mostly exposed back. "The future… well, I haven't given much thought to the future. There was always too much going on in the present."

"Yeah," Paige agreed.

"One day, maybe, we'll be able to relax indefinitely," he concluded.

"I'd like that," she murmured. She was on the border of sleep when something occurred to her – the expression on his face earlier. "Do you," she hesitated and then pushed forward. "Do you ever think about the specifics of our future?" she asked. When he didn't say anything – when his hand twitched against her back, she backtracked, "Like details?"

"Give me an example," he finally said, softly.

"Well – I imagine that since we're linked together for life at this point, we'll eventually tie the knot human-style," she explained. "That's kind of a logical next step."

"I agree," he murmured. But he was still tense.

"Meaning eventually I'll have to introduce you to my parents," she realized, shivering a little bit at the kind of scrutiny her parents would put him under. "God – you poor soul," she joked. "They can be super vicious. They'll question you mercilessly; my dad will probably run a background check on you, my mom will want to know all about your past relationships – Lord!" Then she giggled. "On the upside, if they approve, you'll probably be subjected to my baby pictures and that'll be one big potluck of blackmail."

"Besides "Gretchen"?" Derek joked. His body was finally unwinding and Paige brushed his chest lightly with her fingertips.

"Asshole," she muttered.

All he did was chuckle. "What kinds of questions will they ask? So that I can be prepared, " he explained.

"Trouble with the law, level of schooling, your intentions with me, if you want kids," she recited, trying to hit the basics. And there it was again – Derek tensed so tightly Paige might as well have been lying on the train car's floor. "What?" she asked, pushing herself up a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Do _you_ want kids?" he asked abruptly.

"Of course," she furrowed her brows in an expression she had probably picked up from Derek. "Do you?"

He was silent for a long time before he finally admitted, "No. I don't want to drag anyone else into this lifestyle."

"Even if things settle down?" Paige wanted to know, her body tensing as well. Children had always been a deal breaker for her. There was just something about spending so much time in a big empty house that made her want to fill it up with giggling, adorable children. When she was bored in classes that didn't matter anymore, she'd stare out the window and think about what their children would look like. They'd have Derek's beautiful blue eyes and Paige's mousy brown hair. The boys would have Derek's strong brow and the girls would have Paige's too-small-for-her-face nose.

"Things will never settle down," he protested softly – almost like he hated admitting it to himself. "I told you – this is just a break."

"But, they could," Paige insisted, pulling completely away from him. She didn't want to touch him right now.

"Paige," his voice was tight with emotion he wasn't ready to share yet. "I don't want kids."

For a moment she didn't say anything. She just held his stoic gaze and finally nodded. He didn't want kids. If she stayed with him, she would never have kids. It seemed if she stayed with him, she'd have to make a lot of compromises. She was slowly accepting that. When Paige made no move to return to her previous position, Derek reached up and cupped the back of her neck – trying to guide her head back down to his chest. But Paige didn't want to feel his heartbeat. She didn't want to rest her weary head on his chest and fade into her mate.

At some level, she felt betrayed. She felt like this should have come up in conversation sometime before now. She felt like Derek was an instinctive family man – he had rounded up a group of teenagers and taken care of them just like a father would. She felt like she was being deprived of too much by this man.

Leaning a bit away from him, she pushed against the hand on her neck and, startled, he let her go. The flash of hurt in his eyes should have made her feel guiltier about rejecting his touch. Instead, she felt like he deserved it.

Paige settled herself down next to him. He was still close enough that she could feel his heat, but they weren't touching.

And that was how they fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Paige woke up before Derek and went to go get some fresh air outside. When her stomach started growling, she opted to go get breakfast for the group. She returned with a bag full of bagels – handing them out to the groggy betas. Derek still hadn't emerged from the train car, but she could tell from his breathing that he was awake. Half an hour later, Peter and Isaac were fully awake and fed and ready to leave.

Derek still hadn't appeared.

Sighing, Paige grabbed his everything bagel and smeared some garlic cream cheese on it. If he was going to act like a child, she was going to treat him like a child.

"Rise and shine," she announced. "Eat this, we're leaving soon."

The alpha rolled over and glared at her a bit, but accepted the bagel regardless. Chopping on the bagel to keep it in his mouth, he stood and slipped his pants on. "Hold," he grunted, handing her the bagel back. Then he yanked on his shirt and took the bagel back. She could feel how… uncomfortable he was right now. Disgruntled. Upset.

"Where are we going?" Isaac asked as they all hopped into Derek's car.

"To that burned out shell Derek likes to call a home, I'd assume," Peter snarked.

"Shut up," both Paige and Derek snapped in unison. Paige glanced at Derek, mildly amused, but he only had eyes for the road.

"It's so cute – they finish each other's sentences," the older Hale cooed.

Neither of them dignified that with a response.

Approaching the house, Paige realized something was wrong. The smell was off. This scent was… aggressive, unfamiliar, dangerous. Instantly, she slid closer to her mate – even if she was still mad at him.

"You haven't told them everything yet, have you?" Peter asked, lingering beside the nearest tree. Paige liked to think that he was hiding. From her. Because she had been grumpy all morning and it showed.

"What do you mean?" Isaac inquired immediately. Paige glanced at Derek, suddenly suspicious. After the "I don't want kids" bomb of last night, she was really reevaluating this man.

"Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his pack?" Peter threw out there when it was obviously Derek wasn't going to come clean without some incentive. "So eager to strengthen his power and his number? There's a new alpha – people take notice."

Isaac turned back to the house, still confused and Paige just kept glowering at Derek. He was strategically avoiding her eyes. Ass-hat.

"What is this? What does this mean?" Isaac asked.

Paige's head shot around. At first she didn't see it – she smelled it. The dangerous scent was concentrated right on that broken red door. It looked vaguely like Derek's tattoo – but not truly. Just like the scent, it was wrong.

"It's their symbol," Derek informed them. "And it means they're coming."

"Who?" Isaac glanced over at his alpha for guidance.

"Alpha's," Derek answered vaguely.

"More than one?"

"A pack of them," Derek said simply.

"An alpha pack," Peter clarified. "And they're not coming, they're already here."

"Are you kidding me?" Paige asked. But she wasn't looking at Peter. She wasn't looking at Isaac. She wasn't looking at the symbol on the door. Her glare was focused on Derek. "How long have you known?" she asked.

He continued to avoid her eyes, giving her the cold shoulder.

"Derek – how long have you known they were coming?" she repeated. But that wasn't enough. She continued, "Because you started building this pack ages ago – and you told me you were doing it for hunters in general and then specifically Gerard. Do _not _tell me that you've known they were coming since you became an alpha."

"Fine – I won't tell you that," he snapped.

"Oh, my God," Paige breathed. "That's what this was _all_ about – this "_break_". You were so insistent that this was only a break because you _knew_ there was more trouble around the corner! You _asshole_."

And then she was stomping off.

"Paige," Derek sighed after her. But she was hell-bent on getting the fuck out of there.

"Don't follow me," she called over her shoulder.

* * *

Honestly, the plan Paige stalked off with was pretty fuzzy.

There wasn't actually anywhere for her to go: she was mad at Derek, so staying near him was not an option right now. Peter was never, ever to be trusted – under any circumstances, and Paige wouldn't want to seek comfort from him anyway. Isaac needed to stay with Derek – he had nowhere else to go. He was an orphan, he was a wolf and he needed his alpha. Paige thought briefly about going after Erica and Boyd – probably not permanently, but certainly it wouldn't hurt to go find them and bring them home.

To what, though?

A pack of alphas was on their way. Maybe Erica and Boyd were right to peace out when they did.

Paige leaned against a nearby tree, thinking.

Who was she kidding? She couldn't leave. It didn't matter how upset she was at Derek, she knew she wasn't going anywhere.

"Paige?"

Shit – she hadn't been paying attention. Derek quickly approached her, a hand outstretched to touch her, grab her, bring her back to him. His face was so apprehensive. He was so scared that she was irreversibly angry with him. Well – she was certainly still pissed off.

"I told you to not follow me," she said weakly.

The closer he got, the more her resolve faded. Why? Why was this their life? Why couldn't they just pick up and disappear and never look back? It would be so easy to fade into the rest of the world – to just blend into some big city. No one would ever find them. Derek and Paige and Isaac – living happily ever after. The biggest conflict would be what they would have for dinner. Maybe Derek would finally feel safe enough to admit that he really did want children. Maybe they would have five little ones that would call Paige "mommy" and Derek "daddy" and Isaac "uncle". Maybe it would all work out.

She bit her lip sharply – her fangs peeking out to give some added "ouch" because right now, she needed to snap out of this.

This fog of "what ifs" in her head would do no good.

"Leave me alone," she finally demanded – sprinting off. His footsteps remained back in the forest as Paige ran away.

Her feet seemed to know the way.

When she arrived outside of her house, she wasn't surprised.

On unsteady feet, she climbed up the porch stairs and took a deep breath. Then she knocked on the door. There were two heartbeats in the house and from the scent, Paige knew it was her mother and Wyatt. She knew she had to face the music eventually – knew she'd have to come back eventually. But she was hoping to put it off for as long as possible.

"Paige…?" Her mother peeked out the window to see who was here. It was like she couldn't believe it. Mouth gaping, she stared at her daughter through the window and then suddenly her mouth snapped closed and she disappeared. "Where the hell have you been?" she demanded, whipping the door open. "Get in this house, now!"

The girl allowed herself to be dragged into the house – onto the couch in the living room. Then her mother disappeared into the kitchen. The sound of the lift reached her ears and suddenly Wyatt rolled around the corner.

"She finally showed up," Paige heard her mother say. She must be on the phone. "Yes, I know. Okay – I will."

"You're back," Wyatt said simply, emotionlessly.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Okay." And then he wheeled away.

Paige watched him, her lip quivering. It had been hard enough, leaving them behind – lying and sneaking around. All to protect them. Now, to return and experience the consequences of her actions… They probably hated her. They were probably so disappointed in her right now – even Wyatt. Wyatt, who knew what she was and why she had had to leave. But honestly, what had she expected? She had left – she had runaway. Of course they were going to be mad.

For a moment, she wanted Derek. He would understand. But then she remembered just how mad she was.

It was everything – the trust, the children, her family. Derek didn't trust her. She knew that – had realized it and put it on the backburner because there were more important things going on. But it was like a festering wound: it didn't matter how many times she put a bandaid on it, occasionally she'd catch a whiff of the stench and remember it was rotting. And the children – Paige loved Derek. Paige would always love Derek and he would always love her and sometimes that was enough. But maybe, one day, it wouldn't be enough anymore or Paige would want a baby and that wasn't possible. Suddenly, she wished she had known about this before Derek had just up and mated her.

And that was another thing! Now that Jackson was safe, Paige felt the repressed indignation from _that_ resurface. She should have been given a choice. She should have been allowed to decide that – because maybe she would have said no. Actually, she still would have said yes but… but, she was a teenager. She was eighteen. She should not be allowed to make decisions like that because she was thinking with her heart and libido and not her head. If she were smarter, she would have said no. She would have waited and learned more about this man before permanently tying herself to him.

She had been blinded by his romantic explanation. God, how could she be so stupid?

Her anger switched back to herself.

And her family… she had been so resentful of her family for so long, but… they didn't deserve that and now they were so angry with her. It hurt. She had hurt them. And hurt herself.

"Go to your room," her mother told her, returning to the living room. Paige hadn't even heard her hang up the phone. "Your father will be home soon and then we'll all talk. We have some news," she explained. Her mom couldn't look her in the eyes. Paige figured it was because she was crying. Mrs. Flanagan was always awkward around crying girls.

Her room was so foreign.

Paige ditched her tight, stylish clothing and snuggled into her old sweats. And then she sobbed.

Honestly, she had no idea how long she was crying, but it was so loud and so messy that she didn't actually hear the person climbing into her window until Derek pulled her into his arms.

God, she was still so angry, but she couldn't let him go.

"You shouldn't have mated me," she gasped into his chest. He instantly tensed and Paige knew that was probably the last thing he wanted to hear, but it needed to be said. "And I shouldn't have been so willing to be mated. That was so stupid. I mean – I love you, but – kids! I want children. I have always wanted babies and that should have been a discussion we should have had because then at least it would be my choice. And this alpha shit – you don't trust me, Derek. You rely on me and maybe you love me, but you don't trust me. How can I be with someone who doesn't trust me? Doesn't trust me enough to tell me about impending danger?" Paige hiccupped and then plowed on.

"I hurt my family, Derek," she explained. "I'm not like Isaac and Erica – my parents might be busy with their own grown up lives – but they care. I have parents who care and this double-life is straining our relationship so much. Even Wyatt is pissed. I can't keep doing this. I can't." All of her energy left her as she sagged against him.

Derek didn't say anything for a long while. Instead, he stroked her back. Finally, he seemed to settle his thoughts. "I don't trust anyone," he admitted. "I trusted Laura and then she died. That was the last person I knew I could trust – I've known her my whole life, known her since before the fire. Logically, I know I should trust you. I rely on you for advice, you've saved my life countless times, you don't have any kind of agenda that I can make out. I sleep soundly when you're with me. I _should_ trust you. I just… I don't think I have the emotional ability to. If that helps. At all."

"A little," Paige allowed. "But not really."

"I don't want kids," Derek repeated. The words still hurt her. "I… Paige, you know how badly I fuck things up. It's just not an option."

Yanking her body away from him, wanting to see his face, she protested, "You don't fuck things up."

The alpha was just opening his mouth to reply when suddenly his head jerked, his jaw snapped shut and he pushed her off of him. "Someone's coming," he explained when he noticed how hurt Paige looked. "We'll talk later – finish up with your parents and then come back to the house. I promise." Then he crossed the room and was just halfway out the window when Paige's bedroom door burst open.

He froze.

"Who the hell are you?" Paige's father asked, standing in the doorway.

* * *

**Preview:**

**And dropped to one knee in front of her.**

**Paige didn't even register that it was a ring in his hand.**

* * *

_Don't make me sad, don't make me cry_

_Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough_

_I don't know why_


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Lana Del Rey.**

**A/N: Guys, this has been a fantastic journey and an amazing experience and I wanted to take this time to thank all of you from the absolute bottom of my heart. You guys make me want to write the best possible things, just to make you happy and I firmly believe that you have made me a better writer because of it.**

**First, there will be two bonus chapters as of right now. I don't know how soon I'll get them up but for now this story won't be labeled as "completed". Both will be rated mature. Like, super mature. Like, read at your own risk.**

**Here is a preview!**

_"Like always, Paige's heart skipped a beat. He was truly one fine specimen of a man. On weak legs, she took a step forward and slid her fingertips from his lower hip up his side. The wolf shivered under her touch and Paige couldn't help feeling some pride from that accomplishment. Usually he was the one making her squirm._

_"You're a tease," Derek only half complained, snatching her wandering fingers before they could slide back down and do some damage."_

**Two, I'm working on the story I told y'all about earlier. Problem is, I'm taking a creative writing class and we have to write in this notebook. So, it's about halfway done… in that notebook. Meaning, before things can begin to be posted – I'll have to type it all out. I'd like everything that spans season one and two to be up before the beginning of season three. That's the goal/time frame. Also, when season three happens, I intend to write this story's sequel before working on expanding the other story. I definitely have some reservations with it – it seems pretty campy at this point. The whole concept of "fated mate" was always a guilty pleasure of mine, but that was it. And I've only seen it done well in terms of Sterek. But, we'll see. One of the bonus chapters deals with Paige going into heat, and that's pretty campy too.**

**As always, I very much hope you enjoy this chapter and this story in general.**

**Thank you all so much!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_Femme fatale, always on the run_

_Diamonds on my wrist, whiskey on my tongue_

_Before I give back, I gotta get drunk_

_So get over here, pour me a cold one._

* * *

**Previously:**

**The alpha was just opening his mouth to reply when suddenly his head jerked, his jaw snapped shut and he pushed her off of him. "Someone's coming," he explained when he noticed how hurt Paige looked. "We'll talk later – finish up with your parents and then come back to the house. I promise." Then he crossed the room and was just halfway out the window when Paige's bedroom door burst open.**

**He froze.**

**"Who the hell are you?" Paige's father asked, standing in the doorway.**

* * *

"This is…" Paige stood and glanced between her father and her mate, her heart suddenly in her throat. "Uh, this is…"

Suddenly everything prior to this had seemed so doable – deal with a killer alpha? So simple. Track and kill a crazy lizard thing? All in a day's work. Introduce your boyfriend to your father? Ha.

"Paige?" her mother inquired, appearing over her husband's shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Is this another one of your pretend boyfriends?" her dad asked, his voice unusually sharp as he completely entered the room to come stand between the intruder and his daughter. "Miguel, Isaac – now this man? Who are you?" He turned his focus on Derek.

To his credit, Derek didn't flinch. He pulled himself in from the window and glanced at Paige. "My name is Derek Hale and I really am dating your daughter."

Gregory Flanagan crossed his arms and looked Derek up and down. It wasn't until this moment that Paige realized just how similar they were. It was eerie. Both had an abundance of willpower, were headstrong and silently powerful. Even the way they stood was the same – their shoulders squared and their jaws set. The older man stared at Derek for just a few more seconds before sharply saying, "I've seen your name come across my desk too many times: you've been accused of murder twice. That alone should discredit you as a suitable candidate for my daughter." Paige winced. "But, in addition to that, you're too old for my daughter – I'd forbid you to continue to see her – might even be tempted to have you arrested. I have that kind of power – I'm not sure if you knew that. However, that doesn't matter anymore. We're relocating back to Chicago. You'll never see her again."

"What?" Paige whipped around to look at her father. His lips were set with determination.

"We'll talk about it as soon as he's gone," he explained, jerking his head at Derek. "Leave," he told the wolf. "Or I'll call the police. And please, have the _dignity_ to use the front door."

Derek's hands clenched, but he looked to Paige one more time and then made to exit the room.

"I'll walk him out," Paige announced, standing up from her bed.

Hadn't they just last night been discussing how one day she'd have to introduce Derek to her parents? She had expected that this event would occur years from now – maybe after she was out of college and the age difference wasn't so bad. She had been planning on telling them that she and Derek had met when she came home for winter break her senior year and had been communicating for a few months before they started dated. It would have worked.

Now, that was all ruined.

Even years from now, her parents would remember the twenty-something year old man who snuck into their teenage daughter's bedroom. Her father would remember his name pasted onto files that described two brutal murders.

"No," her dad snapped. "Sit back down. I'll do it."

The two men disappeared out her door. Paige wanted so desperately to listen to them to see if any more words were exchanged – wanted to know if she needed to rescue her mate from her father – but her mother came to sit down next to her on the bed. Gently, she reached out and stroked a hand down her daughter's back.

"So, it's been a boy all along," she commented with fake nonchalance. "That's what's been causing all your behavioral problems?"

"Not all of them," Paige snapped. The hurt look on her mother's face was enough to make her feel guilty, especially as her hand retreated. Paige's back felt cold. "What was dad saying? We're relocating?"

"We'll talk about it when your father comes back up here," she soothed.

That happened within the next minute. The front door slammed and her father returned to a silent room and stared his daughter down. He was mad. Paige knew that the quieter he got, the angrier he was. That was the one way he differed from Derek.

"I am so disappointed in you," he began quietly.

" I know," Paige tried to say, but he cut her off.

"No – you don't," he snapped. "You were on the right track, Paige. You were getting straight As, you could have gotten into any college you wanted – into any law school you wanted after that. But more important than that - you were a daughter I was proud of. And now look at you: you're failing multiple classes, you're getting into fights at school, skipping classes, disappearing at night, running away on a whim. This…" he gestured to the window Derek had recently been caught sneaking out of, "Man, he explains a lot. I'm sorry you fell into his company – maybe if your mother and I were home more you wouldn't have gone out seeking a man like that."

"Dad, it's not like that!" she tried to explain.

"Yes, Paige," he sighed. "Yes it is. At the very least – given your grades and the fact that you ran away… and now, this Derek Hale… Your mother and I have come to the decision that we made a mistake moving here."

"What do you mean?"

"We're going back to Chicago," he explained. "An old buddy of mine got me a job at a private law firm. I won't be making as much money, but I'll be home more. And you'll be back with your friends – your old friends, the ones who were a good influence on you."

"I have friends _here_ who are a good influence on me!" she protested, jumping to her feet.

Her mother grasped her hand and pulled her back down to the bed. "Honey, no, you don't. Friends shouldn't enable you to cut class and runaway."

"You don't understand." Paige felt like she was drowning. Her heart was beating so loudly that she could barely think enough to breathe and her mind was racing without ever landing on a solid idea. She couldn't leave.

"Then help us understand," her father suggested, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms.

"I…" _I'm a werewolf. A few months ago I saw a werewolf jump through a window and then met Derek Hale and he was so scary, but I went with him anyway because there was nothing left for me here in this big empty house. I was bitten. I became a she-wolf. I fell in love. I have a pack. I've seen so many frightening things – done so many scary things and I've never been happier. I am a werewolf and I cannot live in this big empty house ever again because I need to run with the moon and sleep under the stars with my mate. Please, understand._

But, she said nothing. Her father nodded, recognizing that she either couldn't or wouldn't justify her behavioral change.

"The movers are coming two days from now," he informed her. "Pack up your stuff before that." And then he left.

Her mother lingered a moment longer to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry," she said. And then she, too, was gone.

Paige was alone again.

* * *

When night fell, Paige waited until everyone had drifted off into sleep and then snuck out her window. She picked up her mate's heartbeat easily – mostly because he was only a block away at the local park. He knew her so well.

"I heard the conversation," he explained the moment he saw her.

"So you know," she sighed, taking a seat next to him on the bench. She wasn't ready to look him in the face yet – she had made her choice, put a plan in motion and didn't want to look him in the eyes just yet because it would ruin her resolve. Instead, she turned her head to the moon.

"Are… are you going, then?"

Paige finally glanced at her mate. He was wary. He should be wary.

"Yes," she whispered, ignoring the pain in her chest as Derek's own face twisted with hurt. Almost instantly, he smoothed out his expression and hid it behind a stoic mask. That might have been even worse. "I want to stay, Derek – I do, but… I've been neglecting them. You said it yourself – you asked if I was so willing to abandon my family. Well, they're leaving Beacon Hills. They'll be safe and if I go with them, if… if you come with me – and bring Isaac – we'll all be safe. We'll all live so peacefully in the Windy City and I can go to college there, and Isaac can finish high school and…" she trailed off because Derek's expression was set in stone.

"No, Paige," he spoke quietly. "That will never happen." With a sigh, he leaned over and put his elbows on his knees.

"I know." And she did. She didn't know who she was fooling some times with her daydreams about living a quiet life as a werewolf. It just doesn't happen.

"Well…" Paige clenched her fists in her lap. "Then, I guess this is it. Your mind is made up. My mind is made up. Alright. So, I'll come back here for college, then. It'll only be a few months and I'll be back…" Something caught her eye. "What is that?"

In his fingers, Derek was pinching a small bit of metal. He had been fiddling with it and the bright metal had shot off a glare from the moonlight. Suddenly, his hand closed around the item and he glanced up at Paige. If she didn't know better – he looked a little panicked. Then he schooled his face back to neutral and cleared his throat.

"Peter lost a wife in the fire," Derek explained. This was news to Paige – but she hadn't really speculated on the personal life of the man who had ruined her life. "She was so hilarious and clever and… he used to tell me the story of how they met. They knew each other in high school. She was a best friend with his little sister – my aunt. She was a freshman, he was a senior and they ended up going to the same college. When they graduated, she wanted to go into the Peace Corps for two years and she wanted to break up because she didn't think they could handle a long distance relationship. Today, Peter told me how he got her to stay – he, um." Derek stopped talking and suddenly pushed himself off the bench.

And dropped to one knee in front of her.

Paige didn't even register that it was a ring in his hand.

"Paige…" he began, his eyes piercing hers.

"No."

She couldn't believe that had just come out of her mouth. But it did.

"No," she repeated, her voicing taken on an edge of hysteria. "You don't get to do this. Not now. I tell you I've chosen my family this time – for a _temporary_ amount of time and even though I know it's temporary, it still hurts. I hate the idea of leaving you and so, no. No, you don't get to make me feel even guiltier by asking me to marry you – especially given that I don't think I've even begun to forgive you for not telling me about the alphas!"

"I was trying to protect you!" he argued. He was still kneeling in front of her and so Paige stood up and roughly shouldered past him. Only then did he seem to realize she wasn't going to take that stupid ring. He slid it into his pocket and stalked away from her before pausing and twisting back to her. "There was enough going on that you needed to worry about!"

"I still had a right to know!" she shot back. "Maybe that would have worked for the other betas – not me. The second you bit me and _mated_ me – you owed me the truth in all things, the same way that I have _never_ lied to you."

"Well, you've already decided that it was a mistake to be mated to me," Derek snapped. That comment hit Paige in the gut and she gasped with real pain. And then he did one better. "And I guess trying to propose to you was also a huge mistake."

"Yes," she nodded when she finally caught her breath. "It was." She didn't know why she felt the need to be spiteful, but she just couldn't stop herself. "I'll see you in four months," she snapped.

And then she walked away.

Her own chest contracted with pain she knew wasn't hers. Oh God, why had she said something like that to him – to him of all the people in this stupid little town?

All she wanted was to sleep. Go to bed, sleep these next two days and when she woke back up, she'd be on her way to Chicago and she could forget that she was a werewolf. Forget Isaac. Forget Derek.

Instead, she found her brother in her room.

"Mom and Dad are asleep and you owe me an explanation," he told her the moment her body passed through the window.

"I know." And she did know. She knew that she had done wrong and that she owed at least Wyatt an explanation for why she had caused her family pain. But she also really wished this could wait till morning.

It wasn't like she was going anywhere.

Paige settled herself on the bed. "What do you want to know?" she asked, rubbing her face into wakefulness.

"Derek Hale."

She didn't want to talk about him right now. But she owed it to her little brother so she nodded and asked, "What about him?"

"Are you fucking him?"

"Way not to mince words," she commented under her breath. Wyatt was not amused and so Paige sighed. "Okay – yes. I am. Was. No, am. I am fucking him. He's… he's actually my mate." At his confused face, she explained. "We're bound together for the rest of our lives." He still seemed a little confused. "We got married the werewolf way."

Slowly, he nodded his understanding. "So, Miguel, Isaac – they were all just covering for Derek?"

"Well, actually… Miguel technically was Derek," she explained. "It was an alias he went by briefly." Paige couldn't help the smile that slid across her face as she remembered that day. Even though she was so angry, it warmed her heart to remember the less complicated days.

Actually, if Paige remembered it correctly, that day was the very same in which she had asked Derek if he was straight. His answer had been that Paige shouldn't get her hopes up because a relationship would never work between them. And look at them now – bound together for the rest of their lives. But… Paige frowned as it occurred to her that maybe he had been right all along and it was only now that she could accept that he wasn't exactly "relationship-material".

Wyatt didn't speak for a while and then asked, "Why did you leave?"

Paige took a deep breath and told him the story – going all the way back to the beginning and finally telling him about Jackson and Peter and Gerard. He listened with disinterest, as though she wasn't telling him his friend was a murdering lizard, his principal wasn't a crazed hunter and Paige hadn't run away in order to survive. But when she was done, her brother nodded.

"Okay," he sighed. "I get it. And these alphas – when are they showing up?"

"Apparently, they're already here." The true impact of that realization hit her suddenly and she stared wide-eyed at her carpet.

Wyatt frowned. "You can't leave. Not if they're here."

"Wyatt," Paige sighed, dropping her head into her hands. "You don't understand…"

"I don't have to!" He leaned back in his wheelchair and scowled at her. "You've been spending all of your time with those people – you are _married_ to one of them! If there is something really bad about to happen, you can't leave them on their own. You just can't. I mean, I don't want you in danger – I want you to be as safe as possible but I know you, Paige. You would never forgive yourself if something happened to them while you weren't here. And I've seen you in action – you're pretty badass. Maybe those alphas should be scared of you."

"It's not that simple," Paige groaned. Nothing was ever that simple. "I left you guys once. I can't do it again. They will think I'm running away for a stupid reason – for a boy, for something crazy and immature."

"Then tell them the truth," he suggested.

"I…" Oh, she was so tempted.

"Everything made so much more sense after you told me," he rationalized. "I could piece all your motivations together and support your choices. If you tell them, they'll understand."

It was so, so tempting. For starters, they'd know that she was _better_ than she'd ever been before – that this behavior was a result of having her life be in constant danger, not lame teenage issues. They'd know that despite the danger, she was happier and healthier than she had ever been before and her happiness was dependent on being here with her mate and her pack. But… mentally, she tallied how many people knew about werewolves and the supernatural currently. Scott, Isaac, Derek, Wyatt, Deaton, Peter, Mrs. McCall, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Argent, Erica, Boyd. Lucky number thirteen. Did she dare add her parents to that growing number?

"No," Paige shook her head. "I can't. It's too dangerous."

"Then stay," Wyatt concluded. His face was so smooth, as though he had always been of the belief that she shouldn't tell their parents. Knowing him, he probably did think it was a bad idea. But by suggesting it, Paige was forced to realize that she really only had a few options.

"But…"

"Paige," he sighed and rested his hands on his knees. "You don't want to stay because you feel like you'd be hurting your family. Guess what – I'm your family. I'm the only family member who knows what's really going on with you and I say, "Stay here with your pack." You have my permission. Let that be enough."

"Are… you sure?"

"Do what is best for you and your pack," he concluded.

When all she did was frown at the carpet, Wyatt reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I love you, big sis," he murmured into her hair. "And I'll miss you so badly. But I want to know you're happy. You've never been happy with us – not even, I think back in Chicago. You were always waiting for something, an adventure. And it's here and I wouldn't be doing my brotherly duty if I didn't tell you to stay."

"I'll miss you, too," she whispered.

His grip tightened and then he let her go. "Off to bed, with you," he joked. "You look miserable." He wheeled backward but lingered at the doorway. "Say goodbye before you go."

Paige slept restlessly that night.

* * *

The next morning, Paige woke up and calmly showered. She got online and looked up some information. Packing a few boxes, she stacked them near her door and then dressed. Her outfit of the day consisted of black skinny jeans, heeled combat boots, a low-cut corset and then a leather jacket. Her makeup was dark and vivid. She looked like the she-wolf she was. Today, she wanted everyone to remember her just like that.

"I'm going to the school to clean out my locker," she explained. Her mother glanced up from making breakfast.

She hesitated. Paige knew she thought her daughter was lying but Mrs. Flanagan did not have her husbands human lie-detector abilities. Finally, she gave in and nodded.

Paige did go to the school. There was nothing there she wanted – in her locker anyway. But she requested and then filled out a stack of paperwork that released her records to herself and then another stack that terminated her high school career. The substitute secretary frowned when Paige told her that she was dropping out, but the girl was eighteen. An adult. No one could keep her in school.

Strutting down the hallway, she passed Scott and ignored him. Scott frowned down at the ground, right in the assumption that Paige was still angry at him for going behind the pack's back. She passed Stiles and ignored him. Stiles did a double take and she could feel his eyes linger on her back as she stalked away. She passed Allison and sneered. The girl met her gaze for only a second before Paige lit her irises up with yellow. When Allison ducked her head, Paige smirked. Bitch.

"Paige?"

The she-wolf turned to Isaac. "Hey," she allowed him a smile. He was pack, he was a friend. She owed him a smile.

"So, you're situated at home now?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Not for long," she simply said, continuing on her way out of the building.

"What do you mean?" Isaac's voice followed her even though he did not.

"You'll see," she threw over her shoulder.

HELLO

She found Derek back in the subway station, clearing things out. Peter was lounging around being generally unhelpful. They both paused to look at her as she came bouncing down the stairs.

"Scram," she told him, jerking her head at the beta. "I have to talk to my mate."

Derek turned to Peter and nodded, giving his silent order.

"I take it my advice to propose didn't work out the way it should have, am I right?" Peter asked, pulling himself up.

"No, it didn't," Paige informed him, snappishly.

Though the man rolled his eyes, he still left without another word. The couple waited until he was out of earshot, staring at each other – neither willing to move before they began to speak.

Derek certainly looked worse than he had last night. His skin was paper-thin, pale and clammy. A thin film of purple had set up permanent residence underneath his eyes and his frown tugged down more than usual. Paige hoped this was a response to the alphas, or to dealing with Peter on a daily basis – not her choice to leave Beacon Hills. She hoped she hadn't hurt her mate this deeply.

"When do you leave?" Derek asked, cutting to the chase.

"The movers are coming tomorrow at noon," she said sharply. Inwardly, she flinched. Her anger was still there, it seemed.

He had the decency to wince. Paige ignored the nagging feeling that she was being cruel – or at least, she tried to ignore it. It didn't work. Derek turned back to packing up, his back rippling in tension that was probably more emotional than physical.

"I dropped out of school today," she admitted softly. It was achingly obvious that Paige couldn't keep up this charade of cruelty anymore.

That made him pause. He didn't turn around though, and so Paige continued. "I'm a legal adult. I can do whatever I want, legally. I'll study for the GED and take it and then I'll start college whenever it's convenient for the pack," she explained.

"You didn't have to do that," Derek muttered, finally turning around. But she could feel his relief. It seemed like even his breathing was less labored after hearing that.

"Yes, I did," Paige sighed. "I'm part of this. The alpha's are here. You'll need me."

"Is… is that the only reason?" She didn't like how apprehensive his facial expression was.

"You're an idiot," she snapped. She didn't mean to sound so brutal, but she couldn't help it. "I was _always_ coming back," she explained a bit softer. "I go where you go – we've been over this already. And if you refuse to come to Chicago with me, then I'll stay in Beacon Hills with you."

Slowly he nodded. "Have you told your parents?"

"No," she shook her head. Sighing, she took a seat on a nearby barrel. "No, but Wyatt knows I won't be coming with them. I have my stuff packed in my room. My mom has a meeting today in about an hour… I'd like to avoid a confrontation, so… I was going to go over there within the hour and grab the boxes. I wouldn't feel right taking my car because it technically belongs to my parents, so… would you come with me?"

"Of course," Derek breathed.

Paige closed her eyes and tried to steady her thoughts. She was really doing this – wasn't she? She was permanently running away from home to live with her older boyfriend. When did she become a cliché?

On unsteady feet she stood and reached out for Derek. He closed the distance before she could take more than a single step and grabbed her hand, pulling her against him. Pressing her face into his chest, she muttered, "I'm still mad. And if you ever try to propose to me to keep me from leaving town, I will shove that ring down your throat." His chest rumbled under her cheek as he chuckled.

"Peter was always so good with the ladies," he revealed. "I thought it might work."

"Bad advice," she argued. "Bad, bad advice."

"Hey, it worked for me!" Peter's voice reached the couple as he reentered the room.

Paige rolled her eyes.

"Well, now that that's all settled, what's the plan?" Peter asked, leaning against the wall.

"Plan?" Paige glanced at Derek. "For the alphas?"

"The alphas are pretty important," Peter agreed. "But I was thinking more about where we are going to live because this place is a shit-hole, and I've spent far too much time back in that burned-out shell. No offense, Derek – I know how much you love that place. But I can't handle the scent of _death_ anymore."

"What makes you think you're living with us?" Paige shot back. Then her eyes widened and she twisted back to Derek. "He's not living with us, is he?"

The alpha only gave a shrug.

"No," Paige shook her head. "Nope."

But all Derek had to do was smile down at her and suddenly she didn't even mind that she might be sharing a living space with Peter Hale.

An hour later, they had packed Derek's boxes into his Camaro. Peter would not be coming with them, citing some business he had to attend to. Paige leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.

"I'm gonna miss that place," she commented briefly. "Is that bizarre?"

"No," Derek murmured, reaching over to layer his hand over hers. "A lot of things happened there. It holds a lot of memories."

Paige nodded and turned to her mate. "We'll just have to make a lot of memories wherever we end up. That should even things out, right?"

"Yeah." Derek leaned over and very gently pressed his lips to hers, moving them tenderly. Paige sighed against him and breathed his scent into her nose. And there she was – the hint of her unique scent forever etched onto his skin. Slowly, he pulled away, dipping his head down to place a sweet kiss over the now healed bit mark were he had bit her and mated her once upon a time. He breathed her in and she knew he was smelling his scent on her skin. "I'm glad you're staying."

"I was always coming back," she tried to reassure him. Her hands cupped his shoulders.

"I know," he sighed. "But… I don't like you being out of my sight. I don't know how I could handle you halfway across the country. Alone. There are an overwhelming amount of hunters in the Chicago area."

Paige didn't say anything. Instead, she reached up and ran her nails through the hair at the nape of his neck. He slowly relaxed against her and gave one last sigh before retreating completely.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes. Let's get this over with."

* * *

"This house was always so big," Paige commented as they parked in her driveway.

"Most people want a big house," Derek said.

"Not when it's empty," she reminded him and then exited the car. Derek followed her up to her porch but lingered in the doorway as Paige opened the front entrance to reveal Wyatt.

"Is it time?" he asked.

"Yeah," Paige nodded. "I'm grabbing my stuff."

Wyatt looked at Derek. Paige paused in the doorway to watch the interaction. She didn't want a repeat of her father bad behavior from yesterday. Her fears were unfounded. After a mild staring contest, Wyatt gave the werewolf a short nod. Derek nodded back and Paige watched the tension in his shoulders ease. It made her smile a bit that Derek felt he needed some kind of approval from his mate's family. At this point, it wasn't like he was going to get it from her parents. That right there nearly made her giggle, but she stifled it and nodded at Derek.

Then she bounced up the stairs, her mate hot on her heels.

"Is this all?" Derek asked.

"My life, down to four boxes," she tried to joke.

Derek approached the boxes, stacking one onto another before lifting both of them and leaving the room. Paige picked up her own two boxes, frowning at the room. She was suddenly sentimental.

So much had had happened here. She had recovered from seeing Peter the crazy alpha in this room. She had researched werewolves in this room. She had first experimented with her new powers in this room. She had helped clean Derek's wound in this room. She had shared this room with that man for a few weeks – had worried for that man in this room after he'd been captured by the Argents. She had wasted time in this room, waiting for the perfect time to sneak out.

How far her life had come…

"Goodbye," Paige bent over to press a kiss to her brother's forehead when she made her way down the stairs.

"Be safe," he told her. "Call me whenever – text me, email me, I might even accept snail-mail. And you know, in a few more months, I'll be back on my feet – so, I could definitely come visit you. Or you could visit me, or…" Wyatt's eyes filled up with tears and Paige felt her own nose clogging with mucus.

"You got it," she mumbled, wiping her eyes hastily.

The alpha had been putting his boxes in the Camaro but returned to take Paige's boxes from her grasp.

"Take care of her," Wyatt ordered Derek.

"I will," Derek replied with the most sincere level of seriousness. Maybe he too could see how Wyatt's lip was trembling. Paige didn't know. Either way, Derek shifted the boxes and reached a hand out. Wyatt shook it readily and once again they exchanged a nod.

They left together.

Derek put the boxes in the trunk and Paige waited for him in the passenger seat. The door opened, Derek slid into the driver's seat and then shut the door. But he didn't start the car. The backseat was littered with boxes containing his stuff. In combination, they had essentially filled his entire Camaro with their lives.

"What now?" Paige asked.

"No clue." He gripped the steering wheel without too much force.

"We're in a car full of boxes of our stuff with the whole wide world open to us," Paige realized. "That's ridiculous."

"Yes."

"But, we're together."

"Yes."

"Alright. Let the adventure begin."

* * *

_I was a dangerous girl_

_You were too nice for this world_

_And now I'm back on the prowl_

_Who wants to give it a whirl?_

* * *

**End.**


	36. Bonus Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to**

**A/N: Here's your bonus chapter! It's here! It's a thing! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Warning: This is mature. Read at your own risk.**

**This chapter takes place in the middle of chapter 24, but I wanted to post it later so as to keep the main story completely within the mature rating that ffnet has set. If you need to go back and read that chapter, feel free to but I think it can be read separately as well.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Big Empty Houses

By: Ginny

* * *

_If I lay really quiet,_

_I know that what I do isn't right,_

_I can't stop what I,_

_Love to do._

* * *

Paige took the stairs three at a time, not caring if she seemed a little too eager. Her alpha was already waiting at the bottom of the staircase, smirking at her. The scent of pheromones was in the air and like hell either of them were going to get all shy now. Kind of too late for that…

On the last four steps, she leapt at the man and he was more than happy to catch her. Instinct guided her legs around his waist and without even a greeting she greedily attacked his mouth. It seemed like the past few days had been more stressful than Paige was capable of dealing with. But this, right here, was everything she needed to forget what was waiting just outside.

"This is perfect," she muttered against his mouth.

Derek didn't respond verbally. Instead his tongue slicked across her lower lip, asking entrance. But Paige decided to make things more interesting. Grinning evilly, she kept her lips firmly glued together. So, the alpha changed strategy and pressed his wet tongue adamantly against the thin line of her clenched lips. Yet, she still kept her mouth tightly closed. His angry growl vibrated on her skin and his claws grew to pierce the tender flesh of her buttocks and thighs.

It was her turn to moan, but she made up her mind to continue to play this game. Though she didn't allow him entrance, she ducked her head down and gently suckled his neckline. Thank goodness he was a werewolf and any hickeys would be healed almost as soon as she pulled away.

She was so focused on teasing the thin flesh over his pulse point that she barely recognized the fact that he was carrying her away from the staircase. But they didn't go into the train car… instead, he gently pulled his neck away from her ministrations and set her on her own two feet again. He did not, however, let her go completely. His hands stayed firmly on her ass as he murmured, "I want to show you something."

Swaying a bit because there was currently a minimal amount of blood flow to her brain, she ran her fingertips along the fringe on the back of his neck. "What do you want to show me?" she asked.

"Telling you what I want to show you defeats the purpose of _showing_ it to you…" Derek said. It was the closest the man usually got to a joke and so Paige smiled.

"Can you show it to me naked?"

"Are you that desperate to get me out of my clothing?"

"Well, usually you're more willing…"

Without waiting for him to reply, she fingered the hem of his shirt and tugged up a bit. But Derek's hands covered hers to halt her movements and she couldn't help feeling a little rejected.

"Don't pout," he said softly, dragging his thumb across the protruding lip.

"Okay," Paige sighed a bit, enjoying the feel of his callused fingertips against her already swollen mouth. "What exactly is it that you want to show me? If you're refusing to get naked, I feel like it must be important."

"C'mon," Derek grabbed her hand and led her from the tunnel. No words were said but Paige spent much time speculating as they left the urban area and entered the forest. But, this wasn't the woods around his house… this forest preserve was on the other side of town.

"Where are we going?" she asked finally.

"A secluded area," Derek explained as they broke into a clearing. The alpha glanced around a bit and then nodded. "This will do," he decided.

When he reached to pull off his jacket, Paige snarked, "I thought this didn't involve you stripping?"

"You'll see."

Distractedly, Derek reached to yank off his shirt, but Paige beat him to it. With the ease of a couple who knew each other intimately, she slid the shirt up, over his chest, his head, and then his arms. "I might as well help," Paige said by way of explaining. "Pants too?" she asked. Derek just nodded, gulping ever so slightly. Her fingers traced the contours of his muscles, inspecting each line and dent with ease. Then, she reached his fly. One quick snap and the button was open. Then down came the zipper. He wiggled a bit to help her pull the jeans down to his ankles. Satisfaction laced up and down her spine when she saw that he already had an erection.

It seemed he could no longer stand her touch while maintaining his control, as he took an awkward step back and slipped out of his boxer-briefs himself.

Like always, Paige's heart skipped a beat. He was truly one fine specimen of a man. On weak legs, she took a step forward and slid her fingertips from his lower hip up his side. The wolf shivered under her touch and Paige couldn't help feeling some pride from that accomplishment. Usually he was the one making her squirm.

"You're a tease," Derek only half complained, snatching her wandering fingers before they could slide back down and do some damage.

"You've never complained about it before," Paige shot back. Seductively, she pressed her fully clothed body up against his and planted a trail of kisses along his neck. He got a grip on her hair to steady himself, but allowed her to amuse herself for a few moments before completely pulling away. Her mouth felt cold without his skin underneath it.

"You're distracting me," he alleged. "We can and will do that after – but I want to show you this."

Paige took a huge step back and threw out her arms. "All right," she said. "Go for it. Fire away."

One nod later, and Derek closed his eyes. Paige's sensitive ears picked up the spike in his heart rate as his body began to distort. Gracefully – so unlike how Peter had once shifted, Derek's body manipulated itself into a new form. Arms lengthened and thickened. Legs jutted out and grew. His face molded into a snout and fangs sprouted. The creature in front of her was more wolf than monster – more natural than the thing that Peter became, but it was still very obviously not a wolf in the true sense.

In the darkness, the red eyes glowed.

On instinct, Paige jumped back. The last time she had seen those eyes – she had been beaten and broken on the floor, thinking that the alpha was going to win. And though she had seen Derek's eyes glow that same crimson before, it had been in the midst of his familiar face. The two negated each other and during those instances Paige wasn't scared. And yes, Derek in full alpha form was not as monstrous as Peter, but that miniscule element of creature still wormed its way into the picture.

The wolf noticed her reaction and whined a bit.

When Paige didn't respond in any other way besides trying to mentally calm her beating heart, the wolf dipped his head. Then he dragged his belly along the ground as he approached her with slow, deliberately wary steps. The human part of her brain wanted to bolt – but the wolf part of her picked up on the other wolf's body language – he was submitting to her, showing her that he meant no harm.

Suddenly, she remembered who this was. This was Derek Hale and they were lovers and he was showing her his full wolf form. He was sharing this part of himself with her.

Gingerly, she walked forward to meet him halfway, reaching a hand out. The wolf sniffed at her wrist with short drags of scent and then his tongue flicked out to taste her. It tickled a bit and she couldn't help but giggle.

She must have blinked because suddenly he was back in his human skin, kneeling on the ground and looking up at her.

His human hands slid up her outer thighs, up to her hips and then under her shirt. Before she even knew he had stood up, her jacket was off her shoulders, catching her arms behind her back and both her tanktop and bra were pushed up to her collarbone. She tried to reach out to him, but the leather jacket was trapping her arms and she didn't want to break it by using her wolf strength. So, she just gave in. His tongue slid around her nipple and she sighed – only to gasp and give a small yelp as his fangs came out and he bit the side of her breast gently.

Granted, she didn't have anything to compare it to, but at this point she couldn't even begin to imagine sex without biting and snarling and just general werewolfy-ness.

A few shrugs later, she had slid her arms from the confines of the jacket and wasted no time in dispensing of her tanktop and bra completely.

"Off," Derek commanded, tugging at her skinny-jeans so roughly they bit into her skin slightly. As it was, the button damn near popped off. She would yell at him about it later – for now, it was just plain _hot_.

"Yes," she murmured, undoing the zipper and quickly sliding the denim downwards.

Derek wasted no time and simply used his claws to cut the underwear from her hips. Maybe she would remember to yell at him for that. She quickly realized that that was a lost cause as he dragged her down to the grassy floor and pelted her with butterfly kisses in every single sensitive area on her body. His lips met her own, then traced her pulse point, dipped to her collarbone, pressed against her sternum, circled her bellybutton, and moved against her womanhood.

This was the first time he had ventured down there like that.

His hands gripped her ankles to throw them over his shoulders. The moan was difficult to muffle as his tongue parted her and gently teased along the opening. "Derek," she groaned out. Her fingers laced themselves into his hair to keep him in place, to keep urging him on. The build was quick – so quick and delicious and her body moved in tandem to his mouth's dance and then there were stars – stars overhead in the sky, stars behind her eyes that were bursting with every kind of pleasure on the planet. Sweetly, her body tightened, relaxed and shook a bit. Knowing he was done with his initial job, Derek sat back on his heels and allowed her to fall back down to earth.

"That was…" Paige couldn't even find the words.

"I know," Derek smirked down at her.

Then he slid his body up along hers. His lips did not return to hers for the rest of the night, but she wasn't sure she was ready to go… that far. Instead, he pressed sweet kisses and nibbles along her collarbone. Paige knew it was her turn and slid a hand down between them, gripping his manhood tightly. Derek murmured his enjoyment into her shoulder and she kept going. A finger traced its way up the entire shaft and Derek's hips jutted forward, silently asking for more.

Her method of giving him more was to spread her legs a bit and whisper, "Now."

If Derek was anything in bed, it was obedient. What Paige wanted, she got. And when Derek wanted something she was also more than happy to reciprocate.

The alpha pulled completely away, quickly slid on the condom and settled himself between her legs. Gently, he pushed them up and apart and poised himself for entrance. The first time they had done this, Paige had been a virgin and the pain was more than she had bargained for – even with her werewolf-ness. Derek had tried to rectify this by distracting her with a kiss as he forced himself into her. Since then, it had become a bit of a tradition – a kiss before sex. A sweet, kind, kiss before he rode her into the ground.

But tonight his lips didn't meet hers, instead they pressed against her cheek – a safe distance away from tasting herself.

And to her relief, he was suddenly inside her. There was a feeling of absolute completeness – completeness in a place that only he could fill. The breath left her lungs and for a moment she just basked in the feeling. And then he began to move. It was a gentle rocking at first, a slow in and out, full and empty. Paige quickly adjusted to the rhythm – it was time for more. Her teeth sunk into his shoulder, a silent plea to pound harder. Once again, he was anything if not obedient. Also, Paige knew his favorite kind of sex usually left scratches – this "making love" shit was not going to cut it.

A low groan echoed out of her mouth when his next thrust hit deeply inside her.

To get a better angle, he hiked up one of her legs. On habit, her claws came out and she drove them into his back. The grumble Derek gave told her everything she needed to know – he was enjoying himself. After than initial groan, Paige continued to issue a soft whimper each time he filled her. And once again, the pressure built.

Derek bit into her shoulder as he reached his peak and as the adrenaline of pain and pleasure swerved through her veins, she let her second release burst.

As per usual, the alpha was too exhausted to brace his body up and drooped to flatten himself against her yielding figure. His cock was still hard and slick with fluids as it rested against her inner thigh. Lovingly, Paige stroked her declawed fingers up and down his back, tracing the marks she had made earlier. Derek gave s shiver of delight.

Often, she speculated that he was secretly a masochist – pain and self-punishment was so commonplace for him that it was small wonder it had bled into his sex life. Part of Paige felt guilty – he enjoyed being hurt, but it was for such a demented reason, she wasn't sure she should be advocating for it or feeding into it. Another part of her – the dominant part – was fully aware of the fact that she would do anything in her power to make him happy and if that meant hurting him… then she'd hurt him.

Turning her head a bit, she placed a chaste kiss on the only bit of skin on his face she could reach – his jaw.

"I liked what I saw," she whispered.

Without warning, he grabbed her and rolled them both over so that she was pressed on top of him. "You were scared at first," he accused, not unkindly. His fingers found their way into her hair, stroking it softly.

"Yes," she muttered. She might have added that she had been scared because for a second he had reminded her of Peter, but the mood was so serene – so perfect, why ruin it with a mention of the old, crazed, dead alpha? "You're beautiful, you know," she told him.

"Beautiful?" he scoffed, the arm he had around her tightening briefly.

"Gorgeous," Paige giggled. "Glamorous. Fabulous, majestic, stunning." She kissed his jaw again and finally explained, "You make a fantastic alpha, Derek. Even if I hadn't known that before – seeing you like that – witnessing your strength and power as a wolf in a wolf's skin… it was amazing."

The man didn't say anything at all, just traced his fingertips along her skin in the moonlight.

Eventually Paige broke the silence again. "We've never done it outside before," she felt the need to mention. "I'm also pretty sure I have grass in places grass should never, ever go."

"Don't complain," Derek chuckled a bit and suddenly Paige really wanted to see the expression on his face – but also, being in his arms was more comfortable. So, she stayed put and instead imagined the small smile gracing his lips at that moment. "You know you enjoyed it."

"Mm-hm," Paige sighed a bit. "We should definitely do it again some time."

The two existed in a steady and comfortable silence for a few minutes until Paige said, "What does your tattoo mean?"

"The one on my back?"

That made her laugh a bit. "Unless you've somehow managed to hide another tattoo from me, the girl who sees you naked all the time, then yes – the one on your back."

"It's a Celtic symbol," Derek explained. The way he spoke made it seem like he was reciting something he had had described to him. "In werewolf culture we use it to demonstrate the three types of wolves – omega, beta, alpha. It's a spiral because those roles are always capable of changing."

Paige ran her fingers along Derek's chest and said wistfully, "There's still so much about werewolf culture I don't know."

"You'll learn it," he insisted. "This is who you are now – it's not just werewolf culture, it's your culture. Don't worry, I'll teach you." His grip around her tightened very slightly. "Right now, there's no time. We have so much to deal with – but one day I'll teach you everything you need to know about being a werewolf. There are two small werewolf pack-families in a suburb of New York city – Laura and I would stop by sometimes… our great uncles knew each other or something. Anyways, I'm sure we could visit them and you could see what that kind of family was like – that kind of pack."

"I'd love that," she smiled against his warm skin.

Despite their recent activities and the body heat they had exchanged, the night air was still frigid. An icy shiver slid up her spine and she pressed herself closer to his body – seeking whatever warmth he could give her.

"C'mon," Derek finally said. "It's too cold to sleep out here. There's also the kanima to worry about." Ah yes, the kanima. It always came back to the kanima – or the hunters. Derek was typically keen on mentioning the hunters. Gradually, he pushed himself and Paige into a sitting position before dragging her to her feet.

Before retrieving her clothes, Paige wrapped her arms around the man one last time – loving the feel of naked skin against bare flesh.

"What if we just left?" she asked later, as they were both drifting off to sleep in the train car.

"Left?" Derek mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah, just grabbed the pack and left," Paige rolled over to face him, the idea already taking root in her head. "We could all pile into your Camaro and drive somewhere – Chicago, New York… some big city where no one would ever find us. Or we could find some secluded wooded area in a small town and build a house in the forest. Erica and I could cook and clean and you and the boys could go to work and make money and support us all."

"Paige…"

She had been expecting him to chuckle at least – but the look he was giving her… He knew she was partially serious. Maybe it had occurred to him to do the same thing – just leave Beacon Hills behind forever. The whole "playing house in the forest" was obviously a joke… Even if secretly she thought it would work.

"That's too simple," he finally concluded. "We both know we can't just leave."

Reaching a hand out from underneath the blankets, she cupped his face. "I wish sometimes we could," she confided.

He leaned into her touch. "Me too."

* * *

_Keep you safe, and inspired,_

_Baby, let your fantasies unwind._

_We can do what you,_

_Want to do, ooh, ooh._


	37. Bonus Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. Lyrics belong to Lana Del Rey.**

**A/N: Once again, mind the mature warning.**

**This inadvertently became both a bonus chapter about Paige going into heat _and_ bonding with Peter. Oops.**

**As this is the last time I'll be posting something for at least a month, I figured it was also my last chance to say thank you for being amazing.**

**I love you all!**

* * *

Big Empty House

By: Ginny

* * *

_He likes my jeans tight_

_He likes me mean, right (right)_

_He likes my long hair_

_Corset, heels high._

* * *

They had taken up residence in Isaac's house until such time as they could figure things out more clearly. Reluctantly, Isaac had also allowed Peter to live in his house. Paige still held a great many reservations about this situation, but there was so little she could do about it that she just pouted when Derek wasn't looking.

Isaac had mentioned that they were almost out of milk and so Paige had mentally decided to go to the grocery store the night before. So, when dawn came, she stretched and yawned and remembered her mental decision.

Crawling out of bed, she stumbled down the hall and slid into the shower.

Something was wrong.

Her skin was itching in a way it never had before. It was like a rash was spreading up and down her body. But when she stripped down, her skin wasn't blotchy or filled with hives. Running her blunted nails down her arm, she shivered. Why was she so sensitive?

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. "Paige?" someone asked from the other side. "You in there?"

"Isaac," Paige sighed. "You're a werewolf. You know I'm the one in here."

"Just thought I'd be polite enough to ask!" There was a pause. "Derek wants to go with you to the store."

Briefly a shock went up her spine at his name. She flushed and glanced at herself in the mirror. Really? What was going on? Yes, Derek had a habit of effecting her in many different ways – but usually he was in the same room as her. Or at least over the phone. It was never just the mention of his name.

"Alright," Paige sighed. "I'll be done in like, twenty minutes. Could you relay the message?"

"Yeah, sure," Isaac assured her, but as he retreated, Paige heard his mumble about not being a messenger.

Quickly, she threw herself under the cold water and tried to calm down. She suddenly couldn't stop thinking about Derek. They were going to the store. They were going to be alone in his Camaro together and that was going to be… amazing. So full of potential.

Warmth between her legs spread upwards and she gasped.

What the hell was wrong with her?

She cranked the water even colder and pressed her forehead into the icy tiles. This was epically fucked up. What the bloody hell was wrong with her?

Fine. Maybe this would solve the problem, she decided as she slid her hand downwards. This wasn't something she had experimented too much with prior to meeting and later becoming involved with Derek and afterwards, she had always had him there to take care of this. Really, she had rarely wanted for anything in this regard. So – this was new territory, but maybe it would help.

Her index and middle finger slid completely across herself, the tips dipping a bit into herself as she dragged them back the other way. She surprised herself as she shuddered. Biting her lip, she tried to steady herself against the shower wall as she pressed upwards into herself, once twice. Then, she turned her focus back onto her clit. With her thumb, she rubbed the little nub back and forth, gasping. Her knees started wobbling and within only a minute, she was released.

Another knock on the door startled her.

"Paige?"

It was Derek.

She instantly shut the shower off and on weak legs stumbled from the stall. "Yeah?" she answered, wincing as she realized that her voice wavered.

"Everything okay?"

Paige wrapped a towel around herself and gently leaned her head against the door. She could hear his heartbeat through the wood and the pulsing of her womanhood shifted to match his beating heart.

"Yes," she sighed. He was so close.

"Paige?" She heard him give a very distinctive sniff. And then suddenly the doorknob was jiggling.

"It's okay," she murmured.

"Open this door," Derek commanded.

Her hand shook, but she reached out anyways and opened the door. Derek came stumbling in and instantly looked her up and down. "You're flushed," was the first thing he said. Taking another step closer, he gave another sniff right at the juncture of her neck.

Paige couldn't help herself. He was just so close. And she could smell him and she could smell herself on him and combined with the heavy scent of her own arousal in the atmosphere of this small bathroom, it was just too much. Her lips latched onto him neck and as her hands came up to grab his face, her towel dropped.

Probably on instinct, Derek allowed her to attack his neck and even wrapped his leather-clad arms around her. One hand tangled itself into her still dripping hair. Paige spaced her legs open a bit and snatched one of his hands from her back, bringing it down, down, down. It wasn't until his calloused palm covered her still wet core that he seemed to snap out of it.

Well, that and Peter suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"Someone smells like sex," he commented.

Derek growled, and whipped around. Paige didn't even mind that Peter was standing there. Derek had stopped touching her. Where had he gone? She wanted him back, she wanted another release. She wanted him. Roughly, she pressed her body harder against his, whining in the back of her throat.

When Peter's eyes trailed down Paige's body, Derek seemed to remember that she was naked because he quite literally picked her up and set her behind him, using his body to shield her. Paige was not discouraged. Her hands slid around and hooked into his belt, trying to get it off.

But Derek clamped his own hands over hers. Her whining returned.

Peter gave a deep sniff and then damn near giggled. Paige glared at him over Derek's shoulder. She hated that giggle. And she wanted him to leave so that they could get back to what they were doing.

"She's in heat," Peter commented lightly. And then he walked away.

Paige slicked her tongue over the back of his neck and he jumped away from her like she was on fire.

"Who's in heat?" Isaac asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

Forcing out a groan, Derek slammed the bathroom door shut so hard that the whole house shook. Paige smirked – loving his reaction because she always loved when he showed his strength. He was just so strong. His arms were so strong, so, so absolutely strong. And sculpted.

Paige reached out and ran her fingers up the curve of his bicep.

"Stop," he snapped, snatching her hand. But she didn't miss the way he bit his lip and looked away from her. "This isn't you right now."

"It _is_ me," she argued, taking a step closer to him. "Of course it's me. How can it not be me?" Her voice had lowered in timber and she felt so desirable. She had never had bad body issues – it was usually her personality she wished to change. But now, she felt particularly attractive. Irresistible.

"You aren't in the correct mind-set," he tried to explain. "You're in heat."

"Heat?" she murmured, reaching out for him again.

He evaded her and retreated to the other side of the room. "Yes, heat," he explained. "I thought I smelled it when you left the bedroom this morning – but I couldn't tell. I… well, I sensed you… what you were doing in here and – stop," he snapped. Paige had tried to come closer to him again. But she stopped and pouted.

"Why?" she asked. "We do this all the time, why does right now make any difference? I mean – you want it, see?" She gestured down to the tent in his pants. "Why can't we fuck?"

"Because you're in heat!" he said a bit too forcefully.

"I don't know what that means!" she snapped right back. Where was this anger coming from?

"It means…" Derek ran his hand through his hair and finally glanced at her. "It means I'm more likely to lose control. How you smell right now… I – it's taking all of my self-control not to shift right now."

"Why is that a problem?" Paige wanted to know. "We both partially shift all the time."

"I mean…"

Her eyes widened. "You don't mean shift into your _alpha_ form, do you?"

"No!" Derek squeezed his eyes shut. "It…" His eyes opened again and the next thing she knew he was fleeing from the room. "Put some clothes on," he commanded.

Shakily, Paige put back on her pajamas and sat on the toilet seat. Everything about her hurt – her heart in particular. Maybe it was on account of this whole "heat" thing, but Derek's rejection made her irrationally upset. Combined with the lingering scent of her arousal and her need for Derek to be inside her, it was almost too much to bear.

"I've been sent to educate you," Peter said, opening the door and peeking around the doorframe.

Paige ignored him.

"Or you could just ignore me and sit here in the stink of your own masturbation," he tried.

This time she glared up at him and snapped, "I refuse to have a werewolf sex-talk with you."

"Well, your mate it a coward – so, problems. You have them. I can help."

For a moment she just looked up at him and finally sighed. "How do I stop this? Better yet – what _is_ this?"

"Heat," Peter began. Then he stopped. "I can't do this here. It stinks and I feel naughty." Roughly, he grabbed her arm and guided her down the hall into his own bedroom. His skin didn't tingle against hers the way Derek's did. He sat her down on the edge of his bed and began to pace. "Heat," he tried again, "is a method of encouraging werewolf mating. A female wolf begins to go into heat after they've been mated – and will continue to go into heat every spring for a length of a week until she reaches menopause. Essentially, you are – as you can tell – extremely horny."

"And that's a problem because…?"

Peter made a face to explain that he didn't want to have to think about why that _wasn't_ a problem for the woman mated to his nephew. "It's not just the she-wolf who is affected by the heat. Your mate will pick up on the fact that your body wants to… fornicate."

"Still waiting for the problem…"

"Your body wants sex. His body wants you to _bear his children_."

Paige frowned at the wall opposite her. "That's why he was flipping out… He didn't mean he was scared of shifting – he was scared of getting so wrapped up that he wouldn't wear a condom."

"Or in the frenzy, take it off," Peter added. "Or become so enthused that it rips. All of that is very typical during heat."

"He doesn't want kids," she remembered, somberly.

"So…" Peter began. "Giving into the heat would not be ideal. At all."

"Let me go talk to him," she decided, standing and strutting out of the room.

"Bad idea!" Peter called after her as he struggled to follow her.

But she was already downstairs and Derek was pacing in the living room. He looked up at her and scowled, retreating behind Isaac. "I'm going out," he told her.

And then he disappeared out the front door.

"When do you think he's coming back?" Paige asked the general room. But she knew the answer… Derek would stay away from her the entire week if it meant that he didn't lose control and do something relatively permanent – like get her pregnant. Paige frowned at the door he had left through.

"Come on," Peter nudged her on the shoulder and headed for the kitchen. Reluctantly, Paige followed. Peter instantly began to rustle through the cabinets noisily.

He retrieved a pot and filled it with a hardy serving of milk. Yanking the gas flame up high, he returned to his quest. "Sit down," he commanded. Paige scowled at his back, but sat herself in the nearest chair anyway. Peter worked diligently, mixing in some honey, some brown sugar and some spices Paige didn't recognize. Then, he poured the concoction into a coffee mug and set it in front of her at the table.

"Drink," he told her.

Paige glanced from the mug to the undead werewolf. "I'm convinced it's poisoned," she decided.

Peter quickly picked it up and took a sip, rolling his eyes.

"Now, it's definitely poisoned," Paige only half-joked.

"It's a family recipe," Peter explained, nudging the cup closer to her. Paige still only stared at him, wishing that Derek was here so that at least if she did end up poisoned, he could avenge her quickly. Finally Peter seemed to soften and took a seat opposite her, but stopped looking at her. "Whenever my wife went into heat, I made her this drink. She always thought that it took the edge off – calmed her down."

She took another glance at the cup and finally sighed. It tasted too sweet, but oddly satisfying, she decided as she took a hardy sip.

"Thanks," she muttered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

If Peter gave any reaction, she didn't get a chance to see it because he left the room and left Paige alone with her drink and her horniness.

* * *

It got worse the next day.

Derek was still nowhere to be seen and between masturbating, trying to maintain some kind of self-control, and sipping feverishly at Peter's De-Horny Beverage, Paige worried that the alphas had caught him as he wandered alone.

"I'm going to go look for him," Paige decided at dinner.

"Bad idea," Peter muttered into his mac and cheese.

"What do you mean?" Paige's voice got shrill. "He's my mate. He hasn't been home for a whole day – I want to go look for him."

"And when the alphas catch a scent of horny she-wolf?" Peter asked. "You're radiating hormones and every wolf in a mile can pick up on it. A foreign wolf might take it as a challenge. If this territory's alpha isn't willing to give into the heat of his mate, than by all means it's the other wolf's natural right to spread his genes."

Paige flinched. "So those are my options? Stay here waiting or get raped?"

"Well, they might also just kill you before you have the chance to reproduce and increase the power system of this pack," Peter suggested.

He was terribly unprepared as Paige began to sob. Her crying was loud and obnoxious and sloppy and Paige was pretty convinced it was because she was shoved full of hormones. It was bound to make her pathetic.

"I'll go look for him!" Isaac volunteered. And then he was out the door.

Peter scoffed and returned to his mac and cheese.

"Why has he been acting so weird?" Paige asked, wiping her tears. "He refuses to get within twenty feet of me or look me in the face. Or even face me to begin with!"

"He's being affected," Peter explained. "And probably trying to hide his erection."

"What?"

"What part of "You're radiating hormones" do you _not_ get?" Peter put his fork down.  
"Derek is the most affected because your chemistry has molded with his – that's a result of being mates. That doesn't mean only he can sense it. Isaac is a teenager," Peter explained, crossing his arms. "His body – his penis, in particular – has a mind of it's own. He can't control his response to being in the presence of a female in heat."

Paige tried to keep her blush from creeping up her neck, into her face. She loved Isaac like a brother – she didn't want to think about him getting a boner on account of her. And then an idea sprang to mind. "Is that why you're being so nice to me?" Paige asked. "Because you're being affected?"

Peter had the audacity to laugh. "Don't get conceited," he chuckled. Paige flushed an embarrassed eggplant. Once the man caught his breath, he explained, "At some level, yes – I'm being affected. But not like that. You're mated to my nephew. In werewolf culture, but more specifically werewolf biology, that puts you into the category of "niece". My primal instincts are reacting to your heat by wanting, not to fuck you, but to take care of you and preserve the health of the she-wolf who is capable of bringing little pups into the pack. Isaac wants to fuck you because he's not related to you."

Slowly, Paige nodded. "So… _that_'s why you're being nice to me. I knew there was an unconventional reason."

"Ha. Ha," Peter said. But he still smiled and returned to his meal.

* * *

"Found him!" Isaac announced, bouncing into the living room. "He's fine! Just hanging out back at the subway station – staying far, far from Paige!"

Said she-wolf came bounding down the stairs and landed soundly in front of the beta. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Talked to him, myself," Isaac explained.

And he had. Paige slid closer to the boy, sniffing deeply. Oh, God. Derek's scent clung to his body as though it knew the effect it would have on Paige if it made the trip all the way over here. She didn't even know what she was doing as she shuffled closer and pressed her nose to the juncture of Isaac's neck. If she closed her eyes, she could see Derek. Her tongue flicked out and slid along the salty skin so that she could taste him. Isaac shuddered and suddenly his hands were on her back, pulling her closer.

"No!" came Peter's voice. Paige was yanked away roughly by the back of her shirt and she snarled at Peter. But he continued to hold her tight, dragging her up the stairs and shoving her back into her room.

Paige buried her face into Derek's pillow and slid her sore fingers into herself.

She got off so quickly – had been wet the moment she smelled Derek's lingering scent. But… it wasn't enough. Even as her hips jutted up once, twice, and a moan ripped it's way out of her throat as stars danced across her vision – it wasn't enough. She didn't feel at all satisfied. It didn't matter that she had climaxed with Derek's scent in her nose and his face swimming in her vision. She wanted him. She wanted his fingers, his lips, his cock.

A strangled howl ripped from her throat.

It was like she was mourning.

And then, she just lay there crying.

* * *

"This _is_ your problem!"

Paige shifted in bed, wondering who was talking so loudly this morning. Her nightgown was bunched up around her hips. Three days had passed since she found out she was in heat. Derek still had not returned and Paige remained in bed, feverish and upset. Peter came by three, four times a day to bring her food she didn't eat. "Derek," she would mutter before realizing it was just his uncle instead.

"What do you expect me to do?"

That was Derek's voice.

Instantly she shot up and sprinted from the room. Peter was pacing in his own bedroom, the receiver pressed up close against his face. When Paige stumbled into the room, dizzy just from hearing Derek's distorted voice over the phone, Peter scowled at her and gestured for her to leave.

She just shook her head and clutched the doorframe harder.

"Paige," Peter finally decided he needed to verbally command her. "Go back to your room."

"That's Derek," she pointed to the phone. "I want to talk to him. Give me the phone." She reached out and Peter just frowned.

"Listen to Peter. Go back to your room, Paige," came Derek's voice from the phone. Paige's legs nearly gave out as he said her name.

"Please…" she whispered. Her voice had a high-pitched whine to it. "Derek, please. I need you. I need you _so badly_. I'm dying without you. Please, I just want to see you."

There was silence on the other end and Peter glanced at the floor. Maybe he sensed that when her heat was over, she'd be embarrassed to be seen like this. A big part of her knew that she wasn't herself. Sometimes she kind of felt this way – like without Derek she just wasn't complete. But it wasn't something she would ever say out loud.

She tried one last time. "Please…"

The line clicked off and Paige's knees finally gave out. Her head banged against the doorframe and it felt so good, she did it again. The loud crack of her skull meeting the wood – and succeeding in denting the wood – was loud enough to draw Peter's attention.

"Don't do that," he admonished, returning the phone to its cradle.

So instead Paige let the tears fall freely.

"Paige," Peter muttered, almost sympathetically. He crossed the room and gently brushed her tears away.

"I just want him so badly," she explained, hollowly. "I love him so much. I need him."

"I know," Peter told her. "I know." And then he put her arms around her and gingerly lifted her and returned her back to her room.

He turned off the light when he left.

She buried her face into Derek's pillow – which had long since stopped smelling like her mate and now just smelled like despair. When the door clicked open, Paige coiled – ready to toss the lamp at Peter or Isaac or whoever thought it was smart to invade her pitiful state. But the scent gave him away.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. Paige blended into her mate, reaching an arm up and back to grab at the nape of his neck. Derek's nose was cold as it dragged across her throat. His warm, wet tongue slicked a path up her pulse point. Paige let out a sigh, which turned into a whine, which turned into a howl.

"I need you," she stuttered. "I needed you – I've needed you this entire week. I've cried myself to sleep because you weren't here." She turned around in his arms and dug her nails into his pectorals. "Please," she begged.

Derek searched her face and then breathed a deep sigh. His paws pressed into the sides of her face as he dipped his head and kissed her. Instantly, she opened her mouth to allow him entrance and moaned loudly. This was exactly what she needed. In this moment she was perfect. This was perfect. He was perfect.

Her hands slid straight down his chest, popping open his belt and yanking down his jeans. He wasn't completely ready for her, but Paige wanted it _now_.

She had been waiting for far too long.

Jumping away from him, she settled herself on her knees in between his legs. Her tongue slicked up his shaft and he shuddered, grabbing her hair. His cock gave a distinctive twitch and so Paige grabbed the base of it, taking it completely into her mouth and giving a harsh suck. He groaned and she slid her mouth down again, her nose tickling in his pubic hairs. Derek grew hard very quickly in her throat, his hand unintentionally tugging at her hair in urgency.

Any other time, Paige would feel pride for exciting him so quickly and efficiently. Any other time, she would have tried to draw this out and make their lovemaking as sensual as possible. Any other time, she would not be in heat. This was not the time for love and tantalizing pace.

"Condom," Derek grunted as she pulled away with a pop.

"Where?" she asked, breathless.

"Pocket," he reached into his jeans pocket as her hand came down to rub against herself. Soon. So, soon she would have exactly what she needed.

The room was heavy with their mutual need and arousal. The scent clung to every pore. Paige hoped that they couldn't smell it downstairs. Paige decided she didn't care. His cock was gleaming with her saliva and it was everything she had dreamed about. She was fully prepared to scream as he slammed into her again and again.

Too slowly, he ripped open the condom and rolled it on.

Under her nightgown, she had stopped wearing panties a few days ago. It made her feel too overheated and it made her perpetual self-indulging overcomplicated. All she had to do was yank her nightgown up and straddle her mate. She reached down and grabbed his dick in her shaking and excited hand, guiding him to her dripping opening. Once he was lined up, she gave a breathless moan. Without warning, she slammed her hips down and took him into her.

Finally.

Oh, God. Everything about her felt _complete_ in this moment. This was the one thing she had been craving since she woke up that morning so long ago.

A pleased howl echoed from her mouth as she dipped her head back. Derek took the opportunity to dig his fangs into her collarbone and her howl turned to a needy whine. His claws dug into her hips as he guided her up and down, slamming into her forcefully.

His eyes flashed red and he blinked them back to blue.

Suddenly, Derek's grip on her tightened and he picked them both up – only to twist and slam her down on the bed, pressing his entire weight into her. He began to hit a completely different part of her insides. Her hips rolled up so he could go deeper, moaning into his neck. His fingers tightly pinched her left nipple and she gave a short scream. Then he rolled the abused stub between his fingertips, soothing it. His fangs dragged against her neck.

"I need you," she told him, panting around her whines. "I always need you. Please don't ever leave me alone, again," she begged.

"I won't," he grunted. "I promise you, I won't."

Stars exploded in her vision and she lulled her head back, shutting her eyes against the sensation of release. She had never had an orgasm that intense. Derek gave a strangled sound and dropped onto her, sliding a hand into her hair. Together, their pulses synced up and lowered together.

Paige murmured words of affection into his neck. Words like, "love", "need", "perfect", "forever".

Derek shifted his nose against her neck, humming encouragement.

Finally she felt like she had the energy to move and squirmed just enough that Derek fell out of her, but his body continued to press sweetly against hers. She ran her fingers gently up and down him back – from the curve of his ass, to the strong muscle of his shoulder.

"I feel…" Paige sighed, unable to correctly form exactly how she was feeling.

"Better?" Derek guessed.

"_So_ much better," she decided. "This whole week was just… terrible."

He was silent for a moment before muttering, "I'm sorry."

"You better be," Paige snapped, pinching his butt.

Derek jolted up and rolled away from her, chuckling in the back of his throat. Everything was perfect. Whenever she could say something that made laugh, it was always absolutely perfect. He rolled completely over and moved to take the condom off. Paige knew something was wrong when he paused, eyes wide as he stared down at himself.

"What?" she asked, sitting up.

"It broke," he growled, yanking it off completely and damn near tossing it across the room.

"What do you mean?"

"There was a huge tear in it, Paige!" His voice sprang up an octave. "What do you think it means?" He pushed himself off the bed and tugged on his jeans, forgetting his underwear for the time being. "I knew this was a bad idea – I was trying to prevent this by staying away from you." His shirt was replaced back onto his body.

"Right," Paige shot up. "And we both saw how that worked out! I was miserable! I was the most miserable I have _ever_ been!"

"So what?" Derek snapped.

"Excuse me?" The anger began to coil in her gut.

"So what – you were miserable? It would have only lasted a day or so more and then it would have passed," he explained. He swiped a hand through his jet-black hair. "God, Paige! If you get pregnant – with these alphas! What do you think will happen?"

She gaped at him and apparently he decided it wasn't a rhetorical question because he continued. "If you get pregnant, those alphas will target you first. You're already a weakness as my mate and if you're also compromised with pregnancy that just makes it even worse! God, I'd probably have to send you back to your parents in Chicago!"

Paige winced, knowing that that would be terrible – her parents had tracked her down before leaving for the Midwest. They had given Derek quite the scolding and her father had been two steps away from having him arrested. But that was before realizing he wasn't breaking the law. Paige was an adult. She could leave home and live with her much older boyfriend if she so chose. Returning to that shit-show would be worse than death. At least she'd have Wyatt to back her up though – she missed that boy.

"Or, at the very least I'd have to send you to those families in New York. You'd be living amongst strangers." He came to grip the bedframe, his knuckles white. "Is that something you want, Paige? You could barely survive a week without me and you'd be willing to put yourself in a situation where we'd have to separate for a long time? But I guess that might be a price you're willing to pay if it means you can trap me into fatherhood."

The slap echoed around the bedroom in an angry pattern.

"Fuck you," she growled.

It vaguely occurred to her that she was a werewolf and she could do a lot more than just slap this man. But in that moment, hitting him with the palm of her hand seemed like the best possible thing in the world.

Derek stared at her wide-eyed. And then he whipped around and stalked out of the room. Paige listened as he ignored Isaac's questioning voice and Peter's harsh demand to know what was going on and exited the house.

"What happened?" Peter asked from the doorway a few moments later. Paige hadn't even heard him come up – she just kept hoping she could melt back into the bed she was sitting on.

"He's an asshole," Paige explained softly.

"Well, that adjective can be applied to most males, so you're going to have to be more specific," Peter joked.

Paige let out a strangled giggle. "How did you become the only person I can rely on?" she wanted to know.

"Hey," Isaac spoke up from the other side of the doorway. "I'm here, too."

"Yes," she admitted. "Yes you are."

"Rest," Peter suggested. "I'll try to wrestle him back here."

"Don't bother," Paige said. "I think that that managed to knock my heat out of my system."

"It better have," Isaac muttered at the same time that Peter joked, "All that noise you two were making, I'm not surprised."

The next noise Paige made was a soft sigh. She didn't have the energy to be embarrassed. Leaning back, it only took a few seconds for her eyes to close.

* * *

Derek didn't show up for another week.

At breakfast, Paige was serving waffles because apparently she was the housewife always, for everyone, ever. As she leaned over to place a particularly fluffy waffle onto Peter's plate, the beta took a deep sniff of her hair.

"Congratulations," he said.

Everything about her body tensed. Congratulations? Because she was pregnant? Oh Lord. Peter had told her the day after that whole debacle that they'd be able to smell the shift in her hormones within the next week. They'd be able to tell her if she was pregnant.

"Oh, calm down," he scolded. "I was congratulating you on _not_ being pregnant."

"I'm not?"

"There is no little werewolf in your little belly," Peter joked.

Paige let out a sigh of relief. It was strange – she had always wanted to be a mother. But for some reason, it frightened her. She knew she wanted children but not now – not with the alphas around the corner. Also, she was still holding onto the idea that she could convince Derek that reproduction was for the best because she refused to force fatherhood on him. This whole week had been torturous – hoping she had escaped pregnancy and fearing that she hadn't.

They finished breakfast and settled into the living room just in time for the front door to bang open. He was dirty and grimy and Paige could smell the forest on him as she stared at him from across the living room.

Isaac and Peter glanced between each other and then Peter suggested, "Let's give the lovebirds some privacy." They disappeared.

"You slept in the forest." That was not a question.

He answered anyway. "I slept in the forest."

"Was it uncomfortable?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Listen," Derek tried to begin but Paige cut him off before he could continue.

"I lost control," she admitted harshly. "I get it!" The tears fell down her face in waves, all the bottled up emotion coming to the surface. "But I couldn't help it – okay? Those past four days all I wanted was you and without you I could barely breathe! I couldn't think. And I get it, okay? I get that you tried to stay away because you were worried about this happening and I should have also been worried about this happening – but that was the farthest thing from my mind. And believe me, you bastard – if I could barely think about the risks involved in being within your presence, what makes you think I could possibly mastermind a plot to trap you into being a parent?" Her fist pounded on his chest and she didn't even remember crossing the room. "Fuck you! Okay – just fuck you! Is that honestly what you think of me? Do you honestly think I would do something like that?

"Besides loving you – because I fucking do and you fucking _know_ I do based on the fact that I have essentially given up _my family_ for you and my childhood dream of one day being a mother – what makes you think I don't also respect you? As in – respect your decision to forgo parenthood? 'Cause guess what – I _do_ love you and I _do_ respect you and I would never fucking do that to you and don't you ever accuse me of something like that again!

"You're just pissed that you came back here – that you gave into me and so guess what_? This is both of our faults._ We both made mistakes – me begging you to come back and you coming back."

He pulled away from her and stomped to the doorway. He was silent for a really long time, staring down at his white knuckles as his fingers dug into the molding. Finally he stopped shaking and simply whispered, "I had never heard you sound more desperate – pained. I didn't intend to come back here and… and have sex with you. I just wanted to be in your presence so that I could take your pain away."

She heard what he wasn't saying. That he wanted to help her in any way he could and that her happiness meant more to him than his. He must have known the risk of coming home back – had known that he might be affected to the point where he lost control. And in losing that control, might have impregnated her and sealed his fate. But in that moment, hearing her over the phone, it hadn't meant anything to him – not in comparison securing her happiness and taking away her pain.

Paige sighed and rubbed her forehead. Slowly, she walked on sore legs and placed her arms around his middle. He tensed under her touch.

"And that's why I love you," she told him.

Gingerly, his hands came up to cover hers as they pressed into his stomach.

"I don't think you would ever try to trap me," he said. "I know you want children and I know how much it hurts you that I don't want them but I don't think you'd ever do anything to hurt me. Or to put me in a position that could hurt me."

"That sounds almost like you trust me," Paige commented nonchalantly and only half-joking.

But Derek didn't take the bait and instead pried her hands off of him gently. In the absence of the embrace, he dragged his lips over hers and pressed his hand into her lower back to pull her closer. Paige sighed into his mouth.

Her heat had been sated. But here, right now, made her feel the most satisfied.

Maybe she should go into heat more often.

"Oh my God," she yanked her head back, her eyes wide and scared. "This is going to happen every spring!"

Derek leaned his forehead against hers to pacify her. "We'll get through it. Learn to deal with it. For now, let's just… relax."

Paige nodded – or at least tried to. Her forehead was still pressed to his and so she just kissed him again in some form of comfort. Mostly for herself.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, realizing suddenly the true horror of getting pregnant now. The alphas would not hesitate to kill her and her child by extension. Derek just kissed her one last time.

"Let's get some breakfast," he suggested. Paige didn't have the heart to tell him that they had all already eaten. "We'll roll with the punches," he told her. "We always do."

She gave one last nod, and took his hand and they left the living room together.

* * *

_Baby, I'm a forlorn on fire,_

_I'm what you desire,_

_Like a siren in the night (Going nino-nino)_

_Baby you's a man on a wire,_

_Risking all that you've got,_

_For the love of your life (You're my hero, hero)_


	38. Sequel Sneak Peek

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

**A/N: Hey y'all! Little sneak peek for you guys – also, it gets me in the writing mind-set. This is literally all I've written of it because there is nothing much to go off of yet. Even the second bonus chapter had little things that didn't work out with spoilers that have been revealed. And y'all know how anal I am about details and being as canon as possible. But, I just wanted you to know that once the series starts, I'll be on top of this sequel. Thank you all for continuing to support my writing!**

* * *

Big Ugly Lofts

By: Ginny

* * *

There was still a lot of controversy between the two about whether taking that extra wall down had actually been a good idea or not. For example, Paige had been convinced it should stay. Definitely. There was more than enough space. Derek was less convinced. He claimed that they would need a large space to train the pack.

At the time, Paige had glanced around at the completely empty loft and demanded, "What pack?"

Derek had retreated into himself at the reminder that he had failed as an alpha and hadn't talked to her at all for the rest of the night. The next morning, Isaac had made a point to visit and that put the alpha into better spirits.

Absently glancing around the place as she tried to motivate herself into picking up her GED book, she decided that all in all, it wasn't a bad place to live. And honestly, it beat the railway station and the Hale house. Though there were aspects that definitely left her wanting, this was their home together. The home of her and her mate. Maybe she secretly hated that demolished wall, it didn't matter. Derek had created a space for them to be together and they would happily exist there.

"Until the alphas make their presence known," she reminded herself, mentally.

Things had been quiet. Maybe too quiet. Especially when she considered that the summer was supposed to show a general spike in crime rates - something about everyone being outside and the heat aggravating issues. But Beacon Hills was stable for once. Paige knew it was an act. The longer it took for suspicious activity to arise, the more time the alpha pack had to integrate themselves into daily activity and fuck things up more severely when they finally revealed themselves.

Paige closed her eyes as her thoughts and worries got the best of her. Her heartbeat spiked nastily and she took a deep breath.

"Everything okay?" Derek asked from his desk. She had no idea what he was doing, probably shuffling some paper around. He must have heard the spike in her heartbeat, she realized.

"Just worried about passing this test," she dismissed his concerned. Even she heard the slight jump in her heart that screamed at him that she was lying. But he didn't push it.

They had both been doing a lot of lying to each other recently.

* * *

**Keep an eye out, y'all!**


End file.
